49ers’ Ricky Pearsall makes NFL debut 50 days after being shot

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Lying in a hospital bed in the 24 hours after he’d been shot through the chest in an alleged armed robbery attempt, Ricky Pearsall had two questions for anyone who entered his orbit: Am I going to live and, if so, am I going to be able to play football again?

The answer to the first question came quickly, with doctors assuring Pearsall that though his injury was significant, he was going to survive. The answer to the second required multiple tests and a long, difficult night.

And though doctors informed Pearsall on the morning of Sept. 1, that, yes, playing receiver for the San Francisco 49ers could still be in his future, the real answer came Sunday, when he tugged his red No. 14 jersey over his shoulder pads and played in his first NFL regular-season game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was a moment 50 days in the making.

“It meant everything,” said Pearsall, speaking publicly for the first time since the shooting. “Obviously, all the adversity I just went through these past months, it was really good to go out there with my guys again. … At the end of the day when the incident first happened, the first thing I was thinking about was the guys and the coaches in this locker room, the entire staff, and they did a really good job of rallying around me, making sure I stayed up, and it was a huge blessing for me.”

Pearsall’s road back to the football field might have been shorter than anyone with the Niners expected initially, but it also wasn’t wholly unexpected given how quickly his recovery had gone at every step of the process.

On Aug. 31, Pearsall was shopping in the Union Square area of downtown San Francisco when, according to police reports, a 17-year-old high school student from nearby Tracy, California, attempted to rob him. An altercation ensued in which both Pearsall and the suspect were shot. Pearsall was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was considered in “serious but stable condition.”

As Pearsall recounted his feelings from that day following Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, he smiled at the mention of a visit he received from Niners general manager John Lynch, who was one of the first people to arrive at the hospital.

“That’s probably when I broke down in tears when I saw him,” Pearsall said. “Just because it hit a little different knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to play Week 1 … I was super excited and just the way it went down, it made me a little bit emotional. But seeing him there, that’s when it all hit.”

While Pearsall realized he would likely miss some time, he and the Niners also recognized how lucky he was. The bullet that struck him was “through and through,” meaning it entered in the right side of the front of his chest and exited out his back.

After some overnight tests and X-rays to ensure there wasn’t more significant nerve damage, Pearsall was released the following day without needing surgery. He was placed on the non-football injury list, which meant he would need to miss at least four games before he could return.

But Pearsall was back in the Niners’ facility less than 48 hours after he was shot and quickly began working his way back to the field. Pearsall said Sunday the biggest physical hurdle in his recovery was scar tissue in the area of the wound. That buildup of scar tissue was, according to Pearsall, under his armpit and could be found from his chest to his back.

From there, it was about regaining full range of motion in his right arm and shoulder. When that happened a couple of weeks ago, the Niners and Pearsall finally felt comfortable opening his 21-day practice window. 

That began last Monday, offering an immediate burst of energy to a Niners team coming off a Thursday night win in  Seattle.

“We kind of celebrated that almost all week with him,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “It was great to have him back. We were great in practice and he was going to get eased in a little today … Great to have him back.”

Even with third receiver Jauan Jennings out because of a hip injury, the 49ers planned to ease Pearsall back into the mix in his first game Sunday. Those plans started to change early when receiver  Deebo Samuel departed after four snaps with an illness. They changed dramatically when Brandon Aiyuk left with what the team fears is a torn ACL in his right knee.

If, as expected, Aiyuk is lost for the season, there figure to be plenty more chances for Pearsall to improve upon the three catches for 21 yards he had against the Chiefs.

“He runs really good routes, really fast, explosive,” tight end George Kittle said. “The NFL is a land of opportunity. Injuries happen, stuff happens and who’s going to step up? Who’s going to rise to the occasion and take advantage of the opportunity? That’s what the NFL is.”

With 1:32 left in the first half, quarterback Brock Purdy found Pearsall over the middle for a 6-yard gain. It was a relatively nondescript first catch, but Kansas City used a timeout immediately after in an effort to get the ball back before halftime.

That timeout allowed the 49ers fans in attendance to rise to their feet and offer a brief standing ovation for Pearsall. In that moment, Pearsall said the weight of his journey began to hit as teammates congratulated him and let him know how proud they are of him.

When the game was over, Pearsall made it clear that he appreciated the support but, more than anything, was excited that he has a chance to do it all again next week.

“Physically I feel great,” Pearsall said, smiling. “I feel like I could play another game right now.”