Ricky Pearsall injury update: 49ers WR returns to practice after gunshot wound

“I would think it’d be a longer ramp-up period, but health-wise and everything, he is totally good to go. I really won’t decide that stuff until we start watching him practice,” Shanahan said, per the 49ers’ official website. “We’re not going to rush it or anything. If he’s ready, he’s ready. And if he’s not, we’ve got a few weeks.”

The 49ers selected Pearsall No. 31 overall in this year’s draft. He was shot by a 17-year-old male who was allegedly attempting to steal Pearsall’s Rolex watch on Aug. 31. Pearsall was transported to San Francsico General Hospital and was released the next day.

“No one knew the exact story, so I was able to reassure everybody as soon as they got there that he was totally fine and it was a miracle,” Shanahan said in early September. “I think where he got shot is like two inches below his tattoo with praying hands. The whole story is kind of amazing… You can’t call a whole team, but to tell everyone right when they got there, it was really cool. Then, about two hours later, Ricky got on and talked to everybody.”

Ricky Pearsall began his college career at Arizona State before transferring to Florida in 2022. He had a standout season with the Gators in 2023, catching 36 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns. Before the draft, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Pearsall to Alex Erickson, a veteran wide receiver who spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers last year.