San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Photo Credit: Robert Kupbens/USA Today Sports
Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is set to make his NFL debut for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Originally, coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t expect Pearsall to play this week, but after a strong week of practice, the decision was made to activate him from the non-football injury list.
Pearsall’s journey back has been remarkable. He was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco on August 31, but after a fast recovery, he is ready to return to the field just 50 days later.
“Practicing all week, it’s been great to see him out there,” Shanahan said. “He’s had a hell of a week and we’re feeling pumped to get him out there.”
While Pearsall is ready to go, the 49ers will be without wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who is out with a hip injury.. Running back Jordan Mason (shoulder) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (wrist) will play after participating in limited practice during the week.”
Pearsall’s Performance Shines in Practice
Pearsall’s injury recovery story has caught the attention of many. He suffered a gunshot wound during a robbery attempt in San Francisco’s Union Square, but the bullet missed vital organs, allowing for a faster recovery than expected. Pearsall expressed his determination to get back on the field and made it clear to the team that he wanted to return sooner rather than later.
After missing the first six games of the season, Pearsall returned to practice this week. Shanahan initially thought Pearsall would need more time to ramp up, but after seeing him practice, the coach was confident in his readiness.
“I just wanted to see him [practice],” Shanahan said. “We hadn’t seen him out there in a while going with the team. Wednesday, he looked great, Thursday, he was even better and today he was even more comfortable. It made the decision pretty easy.”
Pearsall, drafted 31st overall in April, will be a key addition to the 49ers’ offense, especially against a Kansas City defense known for its physical press coverage. Quarterback Brock Purdy praised Pearsall’s performance in practice, noting his ability to create separation and win one-on-one matchups.
“He’s doing a really good job, obviously being back and just bringing the juice, going really fast in and out of his cuts and creating some really good separation,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “When you’ve got a guy like Ricky that can win man-to-man matchups and then also open up some other guys too, that’s always a good thing. So, I’m excited to see what he does.”
Pearsall’s Role Against Chiefs Remains Uncertain
How much Pearsall will play on Sunday is still unclear, but he has also been practicing on special teams, catching punts during the week. He’ll join receivers Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, and Jacob Cowing behind starters Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk with Jennings out.
Jennings, who leads the 49ers in receiving yards this season, joined the injury report on Wednesday after hurting his hip in last week’s win over the Seattle Seahawks. While the injury shouldn’t keep him out long-term, Shanahan said he hopes Jennings will be ready for next week’s game.
“I hope he’ll be ready for next week. He was close this week,” Shanahan noted.
Meanwhile, Samuel and Mason have both received clearance to play after shedding their injury designations. Samuel had limited participation earlier in the week due to a wrist injury, while Mason recovered from a shoulder issue.
49ers Make Kicker Change Due to Injuries
In other injury news, the 49ers will have a new kicker for the third straight game. Both Matthew Wright (back, shoulder) and Jake Moody (ankle) are out, so San Francisco signed Anders Carlson, who will move up from the practice squad to handle kicking duties against the Chiefs. Shanahan confirmed that the 49ers will be place Wright on injured reserve, which opens up a roster spot.
This report used information from ESPN.
