The NFL world is still reeling after San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot on August 31.
The 49ers’ first-round pick in 2024, Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “A struggle between Mr. Pearsall and the suspect ensued and gunfire from the suspect’s gun struck both Mr. Pearsall and the subject,” San Francisco chief of police Bill Scott said during a September 1 news briefing, via ABC 7 News.
Pearsall, 23, was initially listed in stable condition and was later upgraded to “fair” condition according to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (h/t NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco). Thankfully, the rookie WR was later released on September 1.
Shortly after news that Pearsall was stable broke, 49ers long snapper Taybor Pepper posted the following on X: “Glad to hear Ricky is stable,” he wrote, coupled with a 👍 emoji.
“Cannot believe I had to mute replies to my last tweet,” Pepper posted shortly after he received some replies that had zero to do with the well-being of Pearsall or football in general.
49ers Long Snapper Taybor Pepper Received Some Heated Replies to Post Supportive of WR Ricky Pearsall
Pepper, 30, has been with the 49ers for the last four seasons, singing with the team in 2020. Many responses to the long snapper’s posts were positive. Others? Not so much.
“Are you still [a] liberal piece of (expletive)?” another replied to Pepper’s initial X post, per the Daily Mail. That comment has since been deleted.
“Why? Never liked the draft pick anyway who cares,” one X user commented in another since-deleted post.
“Democrat,” another X user replied.
Some replies Pepper received were too expletive-laden to print.
There were still plenty of folks who saw beyond politics, however.
“Grateful that young man is okay,” one X user wrote.
“Instead of people praying for Ricky’s well being, it instantly becomes a political football with right wingers arguing that leftist civic leadership has failed, and left wingers chirping about supposedly improving SF crime stats. It all seems grossly insensitive,” KNBR’s Larry Krueger wrote on X, adding:
“It doesn’t need to be political, and this should not be a two-sided argument. Everybody who lives here and cares about our community has a shared interest in seeing SF become a better, safer place for all. We can scream at each other online or we can act to make it better. And let’s not forget a young man got shot and he, not our political ideologies, should be our SOLE focus. We need to be better.”
49ers Issue Statement on Ricky Pearsall
“San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital this afternoon as he continues to recover from a bullet wound to his chest,” the team wrote in a statement issued September 1.
“He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors and staff at San Francisco General Hospital.”
The 31st overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, Pearsall missed the preseason due to hamstring and shoulder issues.
The rookie receiver “did not require surgery and remained awake and lucid during his hospital stay,” according to The Athletic.
