San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall missed the first six games of the 2024 NFL season after being shot in the chest in an attempted robbery in August.
He was released from the hospital two days later and made a full recovery. He made his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs and finished his rookie campaign with six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ 47-24 loss to Arizona in Week 18.
After the game, Pearsall spoke about his season and forgiving the teenager who shot him in the attempted robbery.
“I don’t know how he grew up so, I can’t judge him as a man just based off one action that he made,” Pearsall said. “As violent as a crime as it was, God forbid him doing that to somebody else. I don’t ever want that to happen.”
“For me, just being able to forgive him at the end of the day like, I have to be able to forgive him to have that weight off my chest,” Pearsall continued. “At some point I do want to talk to the kid and make sure that, if I can create an impact on him in any way I think that would be really big. I think I’d be definitely open to doing that, for sure.”
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The suspect in the shooting, identified as a 17-year-old from Tracy, Calif., was charged with attempted murder and two other felonies.
Here’s a full recap of what happened to Pearsall and his recovery:
With wideout Brandon Aiyuk sidelined with a season-ending injury, Pearsall took on an increased role in the 49ers’ offense.
Pearsall finished the season with 31 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns. He was fourth on the team in catches and yards behind George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Deebo Samuel.
He also had three carries for 45 rushing yards.
