Santa Clara, California – Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers’ rookie receiver who was shot during an attempted robbery last weekend, is expected to recover fully, according to general manager John Lynch.
Pearsall was shot in the chest and hospitalised overnight following the shooting in central San Francisco on Saturday. He was released from the hospital on Sunday and was back at the team’s facility Monday.
The Niners placed Pearsall on the non-football injury list, which will keep him out for at least four weeks to recover from the gunshot and a shoulder injury that had hindered him all summer.
The 49ers Expect Rookie Ricky Pearsall To Make A Full Recovery Following Shooting
“Ultimately, we decided that the best thing for Ricky was to have a little bit of time,” Lynch told reporters Tuesday. “He’ll need that time physically. He’ll need that time, both emotionally and mentally. We made the decision. When we drafted Ricky, we planned for the long term. Ricky is going to be an excellent player here. He’s eager. He was disappointed, but he knew why we had put him on that list and what that entailed.
Lynch stated that Pearsall was extremely fortunate not to have suffered more serious injuries as a result of the gunshot. Pearsall was walking alone to his car soon after 3:30 p.m. Saturday when a juvenile suspect tried to rob him with a gun in the Union Square neighborhood, according to police.
Officers in the area responded quickly, providing emergency medical help and arresting the culprit. A witness captured video of Pearsall with a massive chest wound as he was put into an ambulance.
Lynch hailed the San Francisco police, particularly Sgt. Joelle Harrell, the first on the scene, ate Pearsall immediately. He also complimented the doctors at San Francisco General Hospital and the team doctors, trainers, and support staff for their collaboration in assisting Pearsall during a difficult period.
Lynch stated there was no damage to organs, nerves, or ribs, describing it as “through and through.”
“Multiple people down there said this is about as good an outcome as you could have in this situation,” he told me.
That good news was far from clear when Lynch discovered Pearsall had been shot Saturday while shopping for bags after an autograph session.
“The earliest calls that I received were extremely scary: ‘We believe Ricky’s been shot in the chest,'” Lynch admitted. “That’s not usually a favourable result. So that was a rough Saturday. It was a difficult ride down to San Francisco General. I’m really grateful that things worked out as it did.”
The news hit his comrades hard, and they described it as a sobering moment because they didn’t know what had happened to one of their friends.
“It wasn’t great at all,” receiver Jauan Jennings admitted. “I did not want to do anything. I did not want to go anywhere. I was just hoping Rick was okay. Just hearing the excellent news made my day brighter and happier, as did knowing that he’s fine and among us.”
Pearsall could FaceTime his teammates at a team party Saturday night and then see them in person when he returned to the facility on Monday.
“He’s in high spirits,” offensive guard Aaron Banks said. “You can tell something like that shakes you up, and you can see he’s still processing it. But it was fantastic to see him and have him around.
The 49ers Expect Rookie Ricky Pearsall To Make A Full Recovery Following Shooting
Pearsall was draughted in the first round by the 49ers in April with the 31st overall pick, but his progress has been hampered by injuries since joining the team.
He missed time during training camp due to hamstring and shoulder concerns, but he returned to practice last week wearing a noncontact blue jersey while his shoulder healed.
Pearsall began his undergraduate career at Arizona State before transferring to Florida for the final two seasons. Last season, he recorded 65 catches for 965 yards and four scores for the Gators, and his college career had 159 catches for 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns.
SOURCE | AP
