Ricky Pearsall, a rookie wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, will miss the team’s first four regular-season games after being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on Monday.
During a Saturday attempted robbery in San Francisco, Pearsall, 23, was shot in the chest. Pearsall was discharged from the hospital on Sunday afternoon without the need for surgery.
“He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors and staff at San Francisco General Hospital,” the 49ers said Sunday.
On Saturday afternoon, there was a shooting and robbery attempt in San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood. A 17-year-old suspect from Tracy, California, which is roughly 60 miles east of San Francisco, was reported to be under arrest by the police. On Saturday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stated that she anticipated filing charges by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Next Monday, the 49ers take on the New York Jets at home to start the season. They were able to sign offensive tackle Brandon Parker on Monday by using the extra roster slot that was generated when they placed Pearsall on the reserve/NFI list.
Even if the shooting event had not happened, there was a good likelihood that Pearsall, the No. 31 choice in the 2024 NFL Draft, would not have suit up for Monday’s game. San Francisco wants to give the wide receiver’s shoulder as much time as possible to heal because he was suffering with a shoulder ailment during training camp.
They kept seven receivers on their initial 53-man roster, one more than normal, in part because of this. The since-resolved contract issue between Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings also played a role. At split end, Chris Conley is anticipated to serve as Aiyuk’s backup, and rookie Jacob Cowing will cover for Deebo Samuel at the opposite position.
Ronnie Bell is another option available to the 49ers for use on special teams and as a backup. On game day, the team typically fields five receivers in uniform.
The organization kept the recently signed lineman, Parker, throughout training camp and the preseason, but he was cut during the roster purge. Parker has effectively won the competition to be the team’s swing tackle over seasoned Chris Hubbard thanks to Monday’s move.
There were just two tackles on the 49ers’ roster: Jaylon Moore and Colton McKivitz, due to star tackle Trent Williams’ continued holdout. Therefore, in order to be ready for practice week versus the New York Jets, they had to add another body to the position.
To make room on the 53-man roster, San Francisco will need to take additional action if and when Williams decides to resign and terminate his holdout. Pearsall counts as one of the 49ers’ eight return designations from the injured reserve, physically unable to perform, or NFI lists if he is activated.
(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
