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Last week, 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall suffered a harrowing setback prior to the start of his rookie season when he was shot in the chest after being targeted in a robbery in San Francisco, but he proved he’s the ultimate Football Guy based on how quickly he was able to rebound from the scary incident.
The San Francisco 49ers used the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to scoop up Ricky Pearsall out of Florida, and the franchise was obviously pretty high on the wide receiver who recorded 965 receiving yards while hauling in four touchdowns during his final season with the Gators last year.
The 49ers were expected to ease the wideout into an offense that primarily revolves around George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel, but things took a terrifying turn less than two weeks before the team’s season opener against the Jets on Monday Night Football when Pearsall was shot in the chest during a botched robbery in San Francisco’s Union Square on Saturday.
The 23-year-old was treated at the scene before being transported to a nearby hospital where he was listed in “serious but stable condition,” and he was discharged the following day after being treated for the wound caused by a bullet that somewhat miraculously entered and exited his torso without impacting any of his vital organs.
Pearsall’s NFL debut will be delayed by at least a month after the 49ers placed him on injury reserve in the wake of the shooting, and while we’ll have to wait and see if he’s ready to return by the time he’s eligible to suit up, it sure seems like that will be the case.
On Tuesday, 49ers radio analyst Tim Ryan provided KNBR with a pretty wild status update to shed some light on Pearsall’s current condition, saying:
“I talked to him yesterday. He was actually in the weight room. Thank God it’s not worse than it was…
I already know this: his street cred has gone up tremendously around here.”
That’s how you make a name for yourself in the locker room as a rookie.