Ricky Pearsall, the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver who was the victim of a shooting in August, had a surprising reaction when asked about the situation.
Rather than being angry with the shooter, Pearsall wants to make a positive impact on the teenager and let him know that he forgives him.
“I don't know how he grew up so, I can't judge him as a man just based off one action that he made,” Pearsall said. “As violent as a crime as it was, god forbid him doing that to somebody else. I don't ever want that to happen so… just being able to forgive him at the end of the day like, I have to be able to forgive him to have that weight off my chest. At some point I do want to talk to the kid and make sure that, if I can create an impact on him in any way I think that would be really big. I'd be definitely open to doing that.”
Pearsall missed the first six games of the 49ers season while he recovered from taking a bullet to his chest. In the 11 games he played in, Pearsall caught 31 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. His season-best performance came in the 49ers' Week 17 loss against the Detroit Lions. He caught eight passes for 141 yards and one touchdown.
Despite the 49ers not having their best year in 2024, Pearsall's story is one of the best to come out of the NFL season.
Who are the 49ers projected to draft in the first round?
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One season after they appeared in the Super Bowl, the 49ers went 6-11 and will have the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports projects the 49ers to select Georgia football edge Jalon Walker. “Jalon Walker is listed as an off-ball linebacker, but he can line up anywhere … and wreak havoc from anywhere. Very interested to see how NFL teams plan to use him at the next level,” Wilson said.
Defensive line help would be beneficial for the 49ers as they look to get back to competing for a playoff spot in 2025.
