After a scary attempt on Ricky Pearsall’s life during an attempted robbery, everyone has been worried about the San Francisco 49ers rookie. Although Pearsall is already back with the team, people are curious when he’ll be back on the field. Thankfully, there’s been good news for the 49ers rookie. The 49ers are hopeful that Pearsall will play in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The 49ers placed Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list to open the season. That designation means Pearsall will miss at least the first four games, making Week 5 the earliest he can return. Garafolo notes that Pearsall was back in the facilities and wanted to play in Week 1 against the Jets, but the 49ers opted to sideline him for four weeks by placing him on the non-football injury list.
“He’s on the non-football injury list, so he is out for the first four weeks of the season after being shot in an attempted robbery, but the news has been as good as you could have hoped for Pearsall,” Garafolo said.
“He was actually at the facility, and Kyle Shanahan said he was pushing to play against the Jets. My understanding is when he is eligible in Week 5, the expectation is he will play there, so great news on Pearsall.”
How Ricky Pearsall can unlock the 49ers on offense
So, all signs point to Pearsall being available to play immediately after his time on the reserve/non-football injury list. That’s great news for San Francisco since they need Pearsall to unlock their dynamic offense. San Francisco hosts the Cardinals in Week 5 on October 6, which gives Pearsall roughly one month to get back to total health. Jauan Jennings will handle the No. 3 receiver role behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk during Pearsall’s absence.
Pearsall dealt with some nagging injuries throughout training camp, but his potential gave San Francisco optimism. Before the attempted robbery, there was hope that Pearsall would add another dimension to the offense. The 49ers already have Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle to pass to. Adding Pearsall’s blinding speed to the mix would make San Francisco impossible to defend.
But what matters most isn’t football – it’s Pearsall’s recovery. The gunshot went through his chest and missed all vital organs, according to his mother, Erin. Thankfully, the 49ers rookie is already itching to return to the field. Pearsall will be back soon enough and can start his rookie season at home against the Cardinals.
The 49ers begin the regular season on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets on Monday, September 9 at 8:15 p.m. EST.
