The NFL season is just a week away from kicking off, and the San Francisco 49ers are among the favorites in the NFC. The Niners spent this offseason looking to bolster their offense, re-signing Christian McCaffrey and recently inking Brandon Aiyuk to an extension, while adding more receiver help in the Draft by taking Ricky Pearsall out of Florida late in the first round. The Niners took Pearsall in hopes of adding another dynamic pass catcher to their receiving corps, with high hopes that he could make an impact as a rookie on a title contender.
On Saturday, some unfortunate news broke out of San Francisco regarding the Niners top rookie, as multiple outlets reported that Pearsall had been shot in a robbery attempt in Union Square. KGO-TV’s Dion Lim broke the news, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirming, and NBC Bay Area’s Gia Vang provided a follow-up to note that Pearsall was in stable condition and the suspect was in custody. Niners star Deebo Samuel also provided a brief, positive update on Pearsall’s status, tweeting “He’s good🤞🏾🙏🏾. Thank god!!!!”
According to San Francisco PD, via Sean Cunningham of FOX 40, Pearsall was shot through the chest while heading to a signing event in an attempted robbery of his Rolex. Both Pearsall and the subject were shot after a struggle for the gun and both are in stable condition.
The Niners released a statement confirming Pearsall is in serious but stable condition.
It’s the second time in three years that an NFL rookie has been shot in a robbery attempt, as Commanders running back Brian Robinson was shot during an attempted carjacking in Washington D.C. just prior to the 2022 season. Robinson returned to the field in early October and has gone on to have a successful start to his NFL career, and hopefully Pearsall is able to follow suit with a full, speedy recovery to get on the field with the Niners after a tragic and senseless incident.
UPDATE: The 49ers released a statement on Sunday afternoon that Pearsall has been released from the hospital as he recovers from the bullet wound to his chest.
