San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt and the aftermath of the incident has simply been a miracle.
Pearsall didn’t need surgery and only spent one night in the hospital, and within a few days he was working out again at the 49ers’ facility.
Now on the non-football injury (NFI) list, he has been mentally preparing himself to return to game action as soon as possible.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said that Pearsall is on track toward doing just that.
“He’s back to conditioning, getting back into football shape, and getting back to healthy,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “… When you tear your chest and stuff you’re out for the year, but a bullet hole that goes through your chest and out the back for some reason heals a lot faster.”
"He's back to conditioning, getting back into football shape."
Shanahan on the latest with Pearsall ? pic.twitter.com/1UZmwxoPxI
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 13, 2024
The Niners have had relatively high hopes for Pearsall ever since they took him near the end of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he has been snake-bit in his short time in the NFL.
He was seriously limited during training camp due to a shoulder injury, and now, per NFL rules, he will miss at least the first four games of the regular season after being placed on the NFI list.
San Francisco has a wealth of playmakers, including wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle, but is dealing with the absence of running back Christian McCaffrey.
The superstar has a calf strain and Achilles tendinitis and has been ruled out for the Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings after missing the season-opening win against the New York Jets.
As for Pearsall, he has already shown his toughness and resilience, which should bode well for him and the 49ers moving forward.
NEXT: NFL Makes Ruling On 49ers' Reporting Of Christian McCaffrey Injury
