He wasn’t in pads or active in drills.
But Ricky Pearsall showed up to San Francisco 49ers practice on Thursday, five days after being shot in the chest during an alleged robbery attempt.
The rookie wide receiver was seen walking in sweats and a T-shirt while handling a football amongst his teammates during Thursday’s practice session. While he wasn’t an active participant, there was nothing about his appearance to suggest that he was hospitalized with a bullet wound to his chest just days earlier.
Ricky Pearsall is watching practice with 49ers T-shirt and cleats on, grabbed a football off the ground, high-fiving teammates, showing no impairment from his gunshot wound to the chest
Just looks like a guy that wants to play ball and he can’t for at least the first four games pic.twitter.com/IeZhDBN9hY
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 5, 2024
Bullet exited Pearsall’s back, missed vital organs
The shooting took place on Saturday at San Francisco’s Union Square. Pearsall was in downtown San Francisco signing autographs before making his way to Union Square. There, police say, Pearsall was shot in the chest by a teenager attempting to steal his Rolex watch. Eyewitness video from the aftermath of the shooting shows Pearsall walking to an ambulance while clutching his chest.
Pearsall was released from the hospital on Sunday after his condition was updated to fair. His mother, Erin Pearsall, posted on Facebook that the bullet entered his chest and exited his back without hitting any vital organs.
The 17-year-old shooting suspect was arraigned in a juvenile court Wednesday on charges of attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and second-degree attempted robbery. The suspect was not publicly identified, per California law, because he is a minor.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Wednesday that she’s considering whether or not to request a transfer hearing to move the case out of juvenile court and try the suspect as an adult. As a juvenile, the suspect wouldn’t be able to be detained in prison past 25 years old.
Will Pearsall play this season?
The 49ers selected Pearsall with the 31st pick of the first round of April’s draft. Pearsall played five seasons of college football at Arizona State and Florida. In his final season at Florida in 2023, Pearsall tallied 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns.
The 49ers placed Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list on Monday, leaving him ineligible for the first four games of the season. The 49ers make their 2024 debut Monday night against the New York Jets.
