The 49ers have had a raft of injuries during the 2024 season, but none was quite so worrisome--or bizarre--as that suffered by rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the team's first-round draft pick back in April.
Pearsall was shot in the chest on Aug. 31 while he was walking next to Union Square in San Francisco in the late afternoon, according to San Francisco police, readying for an autograph signing.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, police Pearsall was approached by a 17-year-old from Tracy, California, who attempted to rob Pearsall at gunpoint. But Pearsall fought back. In the back-and-forth that followed, both he and the suspect were shot.
Pearsall was fortunate to have avoided a more serious injury, and has been recovering since, with a focus on returning to football. And coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Friday that Pearsall will be doing just that in Sunday's matchup against the Chiefs.
At long last, Pearsall will make his NFL debut.
For obvious reasons, it is a big moment for Pearsall and the 49ers, given what he has had to go through to get back on the field. But it could be a big moment in the long-term for the 49ers, who drafted Pearsall this year with an eye on eventually making him one of their go-to receivers.
The 49ers have two star receivers on board, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, but are expected to move on from at least one of them in the 2025 offseason, as the franchise begins to feel a salary squeeze. Having Pearsall as a plug-and-play option for the team would ease the blow of losing one of those stars.
San Francisco is welcoming the Chiefs to the Bay Area on Sunday for a late afternoon game, a rematch of the teams' Super Bowl showdown.
