With 1:32 left on the clock before the half of the San Francisco 49ers Week 7 matchup, the crowd at Levi's® Stadium was on their feet and cheering on rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall as he hauled in a six-yard pass from quarterback Brock Purdy. The roar was loud enough to be heard behind closed press box windows, an appropriate response for the remarkable comeback Pearsall completed so early in his NFL career.
It's a first-career catch that's going to be hard to forget.
"After that catch, my teammates were dabbing me up, saying that they are happy for me, proud of me," Pearsall said. "That's when it all hit. The crowd got a little loud right there. I just took the opportunity to be appreciative of everything that led up to that and all the blessings that came with it."
The 49ers 2024 NFL Draft pick was the victim of an armed robbery attempt and was shot in the chest the weekend before the Labor Day holiday. His injury landed him on the Reserve/Non-Injury list to start the year, ultimately delaying his NFL debut to almost midway through the season.
"The biggest hurdle for me was recovery from the wound," Pearsall said. "There was obviously a lot of scar tissue build up in the area... just working through that, making sure I'm getting that all worked on, getting that scar tissue out. Once I started feeling better range of motion and pain tolerance wise, that's when I was headed in the right direction to practice and train."
Pearsall closed out his first outing with three catches for 21 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, he ended up playing 48 offensive snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs (76 percent of all offensive snaps) with the 49ers three top wide receivers Jauan Jennings (hip), Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) all sidelined by the second half of the game.
"It meant everything," Pearsall said. "Obviously, all the adversity I just went through these past months. It was really good to go out there with my guys again. I think that's the refreshing thing for me at the end of the day. When the incident first happened, the first thing I was thinking about was the guys in this locker room, the coaches in the locker room, the entire staff."
"We kind of celebrated that almost all week with him, because it was great to have him back and he looked great in practice," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "He was going to get eased in a little (Sunday), it changed a little bit with Deebo going out, then it changed a bunch with Aiyuk going out. He had to do more than we expected, and I was proud of him for handling it. Great to have him back."
"Ricky having him back for his first game was awesome," Purdy said. "Just seeing him back out there and making cuts and plays, he's a baller too. We're really excited for him and for his growth and to bring him with us."
Pearsall's ability to beat man coverage, great hands and route-running were just some of skills that held him stand out as a college prospect and can help strengthen a 49ers wide receiver room that is working through several injuries.
Shanahan confirmed a torn ACL and MCL for Aiyuk on Monday and the availability of Jennings and Samuel Sr. is still in question with longtime NFC rival, the Dallas Cowboys, headed to Levi's® Stadium in Week 8. The team will now look to Pearsall, among others, to take on bigger roles moving forward.
"For me, it's much bigger than football," Pearsall said. "(Aiyuk's) going through something right now, and (it's about) making sure that I show my love for him, (sending) prayers his way and checking on that guy. He's a really good buddy of mine. In this game, he went down, and I had to play more than expected, than really anyone expected. I just try to make the most of my opportunities."
