Just before the start of the NFL season, San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was the victim of a shooting during an altercation after an attempted robbery. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt too badly and is expected to return to the field at some point this season.
But ahead of Week 5 for San Francisco, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Pearsall won’t see his practice window open just yet.
“Just don’t feel he’s ready to (practice) this week,” Shanahan told reporters.
However, despite this, Shanahan also mentioned that the rookie is getting close to returning. The team likely wants to be cautious with how they proceed to make sure that Pearsall is fully ready to return to the field.
“I know he is really close,” 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan told reporters. “When he’s good to go, we’ll be pumped to have him back. Ricky is a hell of a player.”
49ers are not opening the practice window on rookie WR Ricky Pearsall this week, but it won’t be long until they do.”I know he is really close,” 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan told reporters. “When he’s good to go, we’ll be pumped to have him back. Ricky is a hell of a player.” pic.twitter.com/L1kSw889Oc
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 3, 2024
Pearsall remains on the reserve/non-football injury list while he fully recovers. But the notes from Shanahan likely hint at him being active much sooner than expected.
While the 49ers are prioritizing his health over everything, getting him back to practice would be a big boost to this team. Pearsall was expected to be a key piece to their offensive attack this season after the team selected him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of Florida.
Whenever he does return, his teammates will be there to show him support. They are all looking forward to him making an impact on this team.
“It’ll be huge,” defensive end Nick Bosa said about the prospect of seeing Pearsall, the team’s top draft pick, back in uniform. “Just seeing him around the facility — he’s looking good in his workouts and stuff. He’s a really positive guy. Obviously, that was a very scary incident, and I’m happy he’s good.”
While with the Gators last season, Pearsall caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns. He spent three seasons with the Arizona State Sun Devils before coming to Florida.
The 49ers are excited about the potential of Pearsall and what he can bring to their offense. San Francisco has dealt with all sorts of injuries to star players on offense so bringing the rookie back would be massive.
His health remains front and center but it seems that we may be seeing Pearsall make his NFL debut sooner rather than later.
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