On Monday, rookie San Francisco 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall hit the practice field for the first time since he was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery, just nine days before the team’s season opener.
Pearsall, who is currently on the non-football injury list, has been given the opportunity to start practicing with the 49ers. The team has three weeks to decide when to activate him, but Coach Kyle Shanahan indicated last week that there is no set timeline for when Pearsall might be ready to play in actual games.
The injury he sustained on August 31 was serious; Pearsall was shot during a robbery attempt in the Union Square area of San Francisco and required an overnight hospital stay. Fortunately, he avoided damage to vital organs and nerves, allowing him to resume workouts at the team facility within a week.
Despite the dramatic events of the past few weeks, Pearsall’s return brought a spirit of positivity to the 49ers. Rookie guard Dominick Puni expressed his joy about Pearsall’s comeback, saying, “I saw him warming up and I started smiling because I know how big of a factor he can be for the team. But more importantly for his health and everything, it was awesome to see him out there after everything he went through.”
During the portion of practice that was open to the media, Pearsall was seen energetically moving around the field and was even excitedly leading the team in huddles both before and after practice.
Jacob Cowing, another rookie receiver, remarked on the resilience Pearsall has shown. “All the adversity that has kind of been thrown at him in the past few months, just for him to overcome everything against him, to fight and to grind and to get back into shape,” he said. “It’s a great feeling for everyone to see him put the helmet back on, put that jersey back on, and then to go out there and be part of that team and have some fun.”
Pearsall was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in April, but had already faced challenges as he missed a substantial portion of training camp due to hamstring and shoulder injuries. Before the shooting, he was expected to be ready for the season opener. He began his college career at Arizona State and then transferred to Florida, where he had a stellar final two seasons, catching 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns in his last year, totaling 159 catches for 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns for his collegiate career.
NOTES: Running back Jordan Mason practiced in a blue non-contact jersey after suffering an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder during a game against Seattle last Thursday. The 49ers are hopeful he can return to action when they face Kansas City in a Super Bowl rematch this week. Safety Malik Mustapha (ankle) and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (knee) were observed working off to the side. Cornerback Charvarius Ward (knee), linebacker Fred Warner (ankle), tight end George Kittle (ribs), and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf) all sported uniforms at the start of practice.
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