SANTA CLARA — Ricky Pearsall’s long-awaited NFL debut ended up being a necessity Sunday after injuries plagued 49ers receivers in their 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
San Francisco's 2024 first-round draft pick was on the field for 17 plays during the first half at Levi's Stadium, with his first NFL reception coming toward the end of the second quarter on a 6-yard Brock Purdy pass.
Ricky Pearsall hauls in his first career NFL catch 🙌 pic.twitter.com/abDi99n63n
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 20, 2024
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"I definitely felt jitters on the first play,” Pearsall told NBC Sports Bay Area after the game. “But after that, it felt more normal.”
The Faithful in attendance stood and cheered for the rookie’s first catch, so much so that members of the 49ers' offense had to urge the crowd to quiet down so they could hear their next play call.
Pearsall’s debut was delayed by an attempted armed robbery on Aug. 31. The rookie suffered a gunshot wound during the incident, but it miraculously did not hit any vital organs, allowing an incredibly speedy recovery.
“It meant everything,” Pearsall said after his first game. "Obviously all the adversity I just went through over the past months, it was really good to go out there with my guys again, and that’s the refresher for me at the end of the day.
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“When the incident first happened, the first thing I was thinking about was the guys in this locker room and the coaches and the entire staff. They did a really good job of rallying around me, making sure I stayed up. It was a huge blessing for me today.”
Ricky Pearsall shares the emotions behind his return to the field just six weeks after being shot pic.twitter.com/wVoyjHIZvA
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 21, 2024
Just 50 days after the incident, Pearsall’s involvement on offense became even more heightened in the second half of the game after Deebo Samuel left the game with an illness and Brandon Aiyuk suffered a serious knee injury near the end of the second quarter.
Pearsall ended up catching three of his five targets for 21 yards, but he will be called upon for more if the fear that Aiyuk had suffered a season-ending ACL tear indeed is true.