SANTA CLARA — A couple of the 49ers' veterans encouraged rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to lead the huddle at the start of practice Monday.
Afterward, coach Kyle Shanahan did the same thing. He singled out Pearsall for the honor after his first practice since the scary incident of Aug. 31, when he was shot through the chest during an armed robbery attempt in San Francisco.
“I saw him warming up and I just started smiling because I know how big of a factor he can be for this team,” 49ers rookie guard Dominick Puni said. “But, more importantly, for his health and everything, it’s awesome to see him out there after going through what he went through.”
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Pearsall spent less than 24 hours in a San Francisco hospital after the shooting. The bullet fired by a 17-year-old male from Tracy from a semiautomatic Glock-23 entered through Pearsall’s chest area and exited out his back, near his armpit, without striking any bones or vital organs.
“It was definitely a surreal feeling when news broke out about it. It hit us hard,” 49ers rookie safety Malik Mustapha said. “Thank God he’s OK, and now he’s able to play the game he loves.”
The 49ers opened the practice window for Pearsall, whom they placed on the reserve/non-football injury list just before the start of the regular season. He was a first-round draft pick (No. 31 overall) in April after he played five seasons of college football at Arizona State and Florida.
Ricky Pearsall is back 😎 pic.twitter.com/IuKkkWULQy
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 14, 2024
San Francisco 49ers
Can you tell Ricky Pearsall is happy to be back at practice? 😀 pic.twitter.com/20XsK9ooJH
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 14, 2024
The 49ers will determine when Pearsall is ready to suit up for his first game after observing his level of readiness from his workouts on the practice field.
“We're not going to rush it or anything,” Shanahan said Friday. “If he's ready, he’s ready. And if he's not, we've got a few weeks.”
Pearsall’s teammates definitely were ready to see him get back on the practice field.
“All the adversity that’s been thrown at him over the past two months and for him to overcome everything and for him to fight and to grind to get back into football shape,” 49ers rookie receiver Jacob Cowing said. “It’s a great feeling for everyone to see him put that helmet back on, put that jersey back on, and for him to go out there and be part of the team and have some fun.”
It did not take long for Pearsall to show his teammates what 49ers general manager John Lynch and the personnel department liked about his game. He was a standout during the offseason program and during the few practices in which he took part during training camp.
He appears to be a polished route-runner with the speed and quickness to separate against man coverage.
Mustapha was asked how Pearsall challenges defensive backs.
“His route-running,” Mustapha answered. “He’s a precision guy, and he has a lot of speed, too. He’s very detailed. He’s a guy who’s going to get you run after the catch, too. He’s a playmaker at the end of the day. Being able to see him do that to the other team, the teams that we face, is going to be a good thing for us.”
It did not take long for Pearsall, 24, to create a bond with his teammates off the field, too. It showed on the field Monday when tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner appeared to encourage Pearsall to break down the 49ers' pre-practice huddle.
Cowing said he got to know Pearsall during pre-draft workouts, beginning in January. He identified Pearsall’s positive attributes, including his attitude, competitive nature and willingness to push others.
Pearsall carries himself in a way that enables him to connect easily with those around him, Cowing said.
"Coldest white boy I've ever seen."
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 14, 2024
Jacob Cowing on Pearsall's swag 😂 pic.twitter.com/rtOBYm1eiz
“Coldest white boy I’ve ever seen — I ain’t going to lie,” Cowing said. “Swaggiest white boy I’ve ever seen, for sure.
“He definitely has that ‘it’ factor about him, just his swag, his style, his style of play, with football and even outside of football. [He’s] just a great dude who likes to have fun and hang out with the guys. All the way around, he has that ‘it’ factor.”