Ricky Pearsall Expected To Make Debut After Getting Shot 7 Weeks Ago

The San Francisco 49ers are gearing up for a big Super Bowl LVIII rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, and it sounds like they'll be getting some surprise reinforcements in rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, less than two months after he sustained a gunshot wound to the chest during an attempted robbery.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Pearsall was going to be "activated. Full go," and on Saturday that happened.

This news comes after Pearsall returned to practice last week, which opened a 21-day window in which the team had to decide whether or not to activate the 24-year-old and add him to the 53-man roster or put him on season-ending IR.

Obviously, it didn't take them too long to make that call and it looks like Pearsall will be in the lineup on Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium. 

It certainly won't hurt to have another set of hands in the lineup, but what an incredible comeback for Pearsall. I bumped my shin on the bed in my office (my office is a corner of an extra bedroom), and I thought I was going to have to go lie down.

Ricky Pearsall got shot in the chest seven weeks ago and tomorrow he's going to make his NFL debut.

Unbelievable.

The guy is a warrior. I mean, there was footage of him walking to the ambulance immediately after getting shot. 

I don't mean to bring up my shin-bumping situation again, but I was afraid that was going to make it tough — not impossible — to go to brunch with my girlfriend tomorrow morning.

Ricky Pearsall is simply built differently.

Pearsall spent his first three years of college football at Arizona State, and then his last two at Florida. He led the SEC in yards per reception in 2022 and racked up just shy of 1,000 yards last season.