Ricky Pearsall told Kyle Shanahan he wanted to play Week 1 against Jets at the hospital

Sep 5, 2024, 10:03 PM | Updated: 10:06 pm

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Ricky Pearsall #14 of the San Francisco 49ers works out during training camp at SAP Performance Facility on July 29, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

BY AMILIANO FRAGOSO

San Francisco 49ers Beat Writer

A mere five days removed from a near tragedy, Ricky Pearsall was seen at the 49ers’ practice facility.

The San Francisco 49ers’ rookie wide receiver made an appearance during the team’s first official practice of Week 1 Thursday, only days removed from being the victim of a gunshot wound to the chest in an armed robbery attempt. Despite the traumatic experience, Pearsall is back with the team, involved in everything football-related except playing it. And while the team is taking it slow with the rookie, his progress in such a short amount of time is a miracle nonetheless.

“It’s kind of been amazing, just watching him,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said about Pearsall Thursday. “For him to be able to walk around with that happening, talking to people at the ER, them saying out of like 100 people, two people survive that. And to be able to see him the next day and just that he is able to walk, he’s coming to meetings, he’s doing all that. But he wants to go a week or so without trying to work up a sweat. And then after that, he’ll start his rehab and progress to getting back.”

Shanahan on his emotions after first hearing about the Pearsall situation and how the FaceTime call helped put him at ease pic.twitter.com/cVGzo2pD5E

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 5, 2024

While everything turned out okay, no one on the team knew the official diagnosis for quite some time.

The 49ers had planned their annual roster party at Shanahan’s house that evening, but the news of their teammate potentially fighting for his life left everyone in a state of angst. Thankfully, news came by the time players showed up, with general manager John Lynch sharing that Pearsall would be okay from SF General Hospital.

Once news broke that he’d pull through, especially considering where he was struck, the mood went from horror to at-ease for the entire organization.

“Yeah, once everyone walked in. No one knew the exact story, so I was able to reassure everybody as soon as they got there that he was totally fine and it’s a miracle,” Shanahan shared. “I think where he got shot is like two inches below his tattoo with praying hands. The whole story is kind of amazing. But to tell everyone as soon as they get in, you can’t call a whole team, but to tell everyone right when they got there, it was really cool. And then about two hours later, Ricky got on and talked to everybody.”

The coach is referring to Ricky Pearsall face-timing the entire party from his hospital bed. Once that call came through, the vibes restored, with all relieved that the best possible outcome was reality. In fact, the rookie made sure to tell Lynch that he wanted the party to continue on upon his arrival at the hospital.

From a heart-wrenching moment to the ultimate team-bonding experience in just a few hours.

“If anyone knows us, we would never do something inappropriate. We care about our teammates more than anyone…But yeah, we were definitely ending that. We thought we were going to [cancel the party], we were assuming the worst for a while,” Shanahan said, chronicling the events that transpired.

“It happened about two hours before it. John went down there, I’m waiting to get the call to see what the deal is and then when Ricky called me and he was totally fine, the things he said and being on FaceTime, then it felt really good to get everyone over. It was actually a really cool opportunity.”

Ricky Pearsall’s itching to get back out there pic.twitter.com/k2pPaOtzgu

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 5, 2024

The bonding moment only further solidified Ricky Pearsall and the unity of the 49ers roster. But sometimes that can lead to rushing recovery, as the wideout appears to be itching to get back into football.

That won’t happen however, with the 49ers placing Pearsall on the Non-Football-Injury list, meaning he will be out for the first four games of the regular season. And while the player may have been against that in the moment, the 49ers are looking out for their rookie, wanting to give him the time to digest any trauma that may be lingering.

But even in a moment of peril, Pearsall still wanted to be out there with his teammates for Week 1.

“I think that’s big. Especially, I think, each day the mental part becomes more of a big deal. The adrenaline and just surviving that. Ricky saying stuff, at first, that doesn’t matter like, ‘I still think I could play versus the Jets,'” Shanahan said with a smile. “Those are the things he’s talking about and it’s just like, ‘Dude, what are you talking about? There’s other things’…When that adrenaline goes away, that becomes a much bigger deal. And that’s kind of what I mean by everyone kind of respecting that. Because we’d all be the same, and trying not to make him relive it as much as possible. But it’s really an unbelievable story.”

Deebo on how he heard about the Pearsall shooting and the relief he felt after FaceTiming with him pic.twitter.com/DieWTkFqbh

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 5, 2024

Without even playing a single snap of football for the 49ers, Ricky Pearsall has proven one thing already: He’s built different.

Regardless of what happens the rest of his football career, the Arizona native has already won the game of life, leaving his teammates and coaches in shock and awe by how he’s faced the ultimate adversity.

“We’ve been so impressed with Ricky, with everything he’s done prior to this. For this to happen and just to hear kind of what his girlfriend, what his parents went through, even talking to Ricky, when it happened, he doesn’t know until he actually gets to the hospital and talks to doctors that he’s going to be alright. So for him to have to go through that shock and the anxiety and the panic of not knowing whether you’re going to live or die. I saw the video that everyone saw of him just walking [it off]. But at that time, he has no idea he is going be alright.

“He’s as tough a person I know, just going through a situation like that. We always felt this way watching him on the football field and things like that. But to watch how he handled that situation and watch how he’s been every day since, it shows how special of a guy he is,” Shanahan said.