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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest on Saturday, and his mother recently gave an update on his status.
In a social media post on Sunday, Erin Pearsall shared that her son is “extremely lucky” after he was shot in the chest and the bullet exited through his back. Erin said Ricky was “in good spirits” the day after the incident.
“Update on my baby boy. First and far most I want to thank GOD for protecting my baby boy,” Erin Pearsall wrote. “He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him. He was shot in the chest and it exited out his back. Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs. He is in good spirits right now. Life is so precious my friends. Please love eachother. My son was spared today by the grace of GOD. Please pray for my baby.”
Ricky Pearsall’s mom, Erin, posted on Facebook that the bullet entered Pearsall’s chest and exited his back without hitting any vital organs pic.twitter.com/YXKUY4m8I3
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 1, 2024
Pearsall was shot in the Union Square area of San Francisco on Saturday by someone who reportedly tried to steal the former Florida star’s Rolex watch. The suspect was also shot during the incident. You can read more details here.
The 49ers issued a statement on Saturday saying Pearsall was in serious but stable condition. A video later surfaced that showed Pearsall walking to an ambulance after he was shot.
Pearsall was a first-round pick by the 49ers in April. He missed time in training camp due to an injury. Pearsall caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns at Florida last season. He also rushed for two scores.
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Steelers should pursue one of Aaron Rodgers' former targets to boost offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently constructing the team's final roster for the 2025 season, which is one of the toughest decisions for every NFL organization. Players on the edge of rosters are traded from team to team, while other players are waived, allowing clubs to pick them up on the waiver wire. The Steelers will have a chance to do this, but it will be interesting to see what positions the franchise prioritizes before the start of the regular season. Wide receiver is a spot fans want to see upgraded, but the organization could also use some added depth on both sides of the ball. The Steelers could consider picking up many players who were released on Monday and Tuesday. However, there is an intriguing name available at wide receiver, Malachi Corley, a 2024 third-round pick, who was waived by the New York Jets on Tuesday. The Steelers had previously shown interest in him during the pre-draft process last year, but didn't have the chance to select him. Corley had immense potential coming out of college. He played at Western Kentucky, and over four seasons, caught 259 passes for over 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. His production was consistent, but he had some trouble transitioning to the NFL. It doesn't help that he went to a dysfunctional organization like the Jets, and a part of his release is the fact that a new regime took over in New York An obvious connection between Corley and the Steelers is with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It was reported that Rodgers wanted the Jets to draft Corley back in 2024, which likely influenced the organization's decision. He has some familiarity with the young receiver, and that could lead Rodgers to persuade Pittsburgh to bring him in. Corley had a rough rookie season as he struggled even to make it onto the football field, but a change of scenery and a new organization could play a role in helping him improve. Until the first three weeks of the regular season are over, the waiver wire goes in the order of the 2025 NFL Draft. After the first three weeks of the regular season, the standings are updated to reflect the current standings in the NFL. Pittsburgh has the 21st priority on the waiver wire. That means that 20 teams in front of them can submit a claim for Corley, or any other player Pittsburgh may be interested in. That cycle will then repeat itself, and that is how waived players end up on new rosters. Corley still has potential, and one of the 20 teams in front of Pittsburgh could try to grab him.
Minnesota Vikings make shocking release of popular defender as final roster cut deadline approaches
Zachary Yager, Veteran NASCAR Pit Crew Member, Dies Aged 35
Zachary Yager, who had served as an over-the-wall pit crew member in the NASCAR National Series ranks since the 2014 season, has died at the age of 35. TobyChristie.com had the initial report of Yager's death. Yager, a New York native, had pit crew stints with Richard Childress Racing, Team Penske, RFK Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing (now known as HYAK Motorsports), where he won the 2023 Daytona 500, from 2014 to 2024. Ahead of the 2025 season, Yager moved to Elite Race Services, a Mooresville, NC-based company that specializes in assembling teams of pit crews for NASCAR National Series race teams. This season, Yager had been serving as the Jack Man for the No. 39 RSS Racing team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as well as the No. 88 ThorSport Racing team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The loss of Yager was absolutely unexpected for Elite Race Services, which is grieving the loss of one of its own, while issuing its deepest sympathy to Yager's family. “Obviously, nobody saw this coming and we’re in total disbelief,” Cory DeMarco, owner of Elite Race Services said in a statement given to TobyChristie.com. “All of the guys send our thoughts and prayers out to his dad and family, right now.” ThorSport Racing, likewise, expressed grief over the sudden and unexpected loss of Yager. “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of our friend and teammate, Zachary Yager,” said ThorSport Racing in a statement. “He was an important part of our family, and our hearts are with his loved ones and community as we grieve this loss together.” While he was serving as a Jack Man this season, Yager was well-known as a well-rounded pit crew member, who could perform at nearly every position on an over-the-wall pit crew. Yager previously served as a Tire Carrier and Fueler in addition to the Jack Man role. No details surrounding Yager's death have been released, but the veteran pit crew member had been missing since Monday, August 18, according to various social media posts from members of Yager's family.
Recent roster moves cement 2022 QB class as one of worst ever
Finding a starting quarterback in the NFL is hard work, and most players who get picked at the position will not pan out as hoped. Teams that took quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft have found that out first hand, and some recent roster moves around the league have helped to cement that class as one of the worst ever for quarterbacks. Of the nine quarterbacks taken in that class, only one of them — Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers — is a starter in the NFL, and he is the only one out of that group who is still with the team that selected them. Here is a quick run down of where the first eight quarterbacks in that class are right now, including some recent roster moves featuring the top-two quarterbacks — Kenny Pickett and Desmond Ridder — taken in that class. Kenny Pickett (No. 20 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers) Pickett was just traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Las Vegas Raiders and is now already on his fourth team in the NFL, having been traded three times. He has a Super Bowl ring and should have a nice career as a backup, but as the first quarterback taken in a class, this is a disappointing career path so far. Desmond Ridder (No. 74 overall, Atlanta Falcons) Like Pickett, Ridder has also already played for four teams in the NFL and will have to join a fifth to continue his career after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. He was originally picked by the Atlanta Falcons and has played for the Arizona Cardinals, Raiders and Bengals. Malik Willis (No. 86 overall, Tennessee Titans) After failing to secure the starting job with the Titans, Willis is now a backup with the Green Bay Packers. Matt Corral (No. 94 overall, Carolina Panthers) Corral never threw a pass in the NFL and is no longer in the league, having most recently played for the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL. Bailey Zappe (No. 137 overall, New England Patriots) Zappe had a brief run as a starter with the Patriots, but he never solidified the job and has spent time as a backup with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. Sam Howell (No. 144 overall, Washington Commanders) Howell showed some potential as a starter for Washington during the 2023 season, throwing for 3,946 yards and 21 touchdowns. The downside: He also threw a league-leading 21 interceptions. After being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles this preseason, he is now on his third team. Chris Oladokun (No. 241 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers) Oladokun was the second of the Steelers' two quarterback picks in this class and never even made the roster. He was cut after the initial training camp and ended up as a depth piece in Kansas City. Skylar Thompson (No. 247 overall, Miami Dolphins) Thompson was forced into a starting role for a playoff game for the Dolphins but never really established himself as a long-term option. He was in training camp with the Steelers this season and played well, but is likely to lose out on a numbers game and be seeking a third team. Of these eight quarterbacks, four have already played for at least three teams before the end of their rookie contracts. Purdy, who was oddly enough the last quarterback taken in this class, is the only one who has found success. But even he is not good enough to salvage what has been a complete dud of a quarterback class.
Saints cuts an indictment of team's NFL Draft process
Plenty of explanations exist for why the New Orleans Saints have fallen to become one of the NFL's worst teams, but chief among them is a troubling trend of NFL Draft ineptitude. As the Saints trim their roster to 53 players before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, the front office released 2023 second-round defensive end Isaiah Foskey (No. 40 overall), 2023 fourth-round quarterback Jake Haener (No. 127 overall) and 2022 fifth-round linebacker D'Marco Jackson (No. 161 overall) before lunch time. None of the moves were particularly shocking. But that doesn't make them any less disappointing. Since 2000, Foskey is one of two primary defensive ends selected in the first or second round of the NFL Draft to appear in at least 20 games and not record a sack, joining former New York Jets defensive end Vernon Gholston. Haener was benched at halftime of his lone 2024 start and ended the season 18-of-39 (46.2%) for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Jackson was a core special teams player but played sparingly on defense his first two seasons. NewOrleans.Football's Mike Triplett noted he could be a practice squad candidate if he goes unclaimed on waivers, but his slow development on defense is another strike against the team's scouting. Senior vice president and assistant general manager — college personnel Jeff Ireland has had plenty of hits over the years for New Orleans (even players who succeeded elsewhere, like Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zach Baun), but the Saints have been one of the worst drafting teams this decade. Defensive end Payton Turner, a 2021 first-round pick, had five sacks in four seasons before departing during in 2025 free agency. Offensive tackle Trevor Penning, one of two 2022 first-rounders, was benched in his first season as a starter and moved to guard this offseason, a final gasp at finding a fit for the fourth-year pro. It's no coincidence that New Orleans' late-2010s renaissance came on the heels of the team's phenomenal 2017 draft class, which featured Associated Press Rookies of the Year Alvin Kamara (Offensive) and Marshon Lattimore (Defensive), tackle Ryan Ramczyk, defensive end Trey Hendrickson, linebacker Alex Anzalone and safety Marcus Williams. Particularly for teams like New Orleans, which spend years up against the salary-cap wall, hitting on cost-controlled draft picks is essential to remaining a title contender. It will take another strong class for the Saints to once again be relevant to the playoff picture, and it's unclear if 2025's rookies will be the ones to alter the team's trajectory. Second-rounder Tyler Shough didn't emerge as a clear winner in the starting quarterback battle with Spencer Rattler. While he could still earn the role, after Rattler started twice in the preseason, he might be the likelier choice. Offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, selected No. 9 overall, will be a key player to watch this season, as will middle-round defenders Vernon Broughton (No. 71 overall), Jonas Sanker (No. 93), Danny Stutsman (No. 112) and Quincy Riley (No. 131). With the playoffs an unrealistic goal in 2025, a successful season in New Orleans would be for a handful of its rookies and other young players to emerge as starting-caliber. If so, that would be an exception to the recent rule.
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