San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will practice for the first time since getting shot in the chest during an attempted robbery on Aug. 31. On Friday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team will open the practice window Monday for Pearsall, the team’s first-round pick.
The 49ers would then have 21 days to either activate Pearsall onto the 53-man roster or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
“Health-wise and everything, he’s totally good to go but I really won’t decide that stuff until we start watching him practice,” Shanahan said of Pearsall. “But, we’re not going to rush it. If he’s ready, he’s ready. If he’s not, we’ve got a few weeks.”
A standout receiver at Florida, Pearsall missed the start of his rookie training camp with a hamstring injury. He also missed several weeks with a shoulder injury prior to the shooting incident in San Francisco. Pearsall, shot in the right side of his chest, was released from the hospital a day after the incident and back at the 49ers’ facility two days later.
Back in the spring, Pearsall displayed some of the promise that made him a first-round pick. He was specifically impressive in terms of getting separation from defenders while also showing his prowess as a returner.
As far as Pearsall’s potential return, the 49ers will likely take their time as they currently have no depth issues at receiver. The 49ers possess one of the NFL’s deepest receiving corps, led by tight end George Kittle along with wideouts Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk.
Pearsall will add even more depth to the unit whenever he is activated.
