Just over a week after 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery, he entered Levi’s Stadium before the season opener against the Jets.
Although Pearsall was not playing on Monday night, he still wanted to make sure he was at the stadium to support his team.
“We still have to move forward even if we don’t play. It doesn’t matter,” Pearsall said in a video the 49ers posted before the opening game.
Pearsall, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Monday, appeared in good spirits as he entered the stadium wearing a denim shirt and holey trousers.
Even though he wouldn’t make his NFL debut, it was a positive sign that the rookie receiver did so well after the scary incident on August 31.
A teenager tried to rob Pearsall of his Rolex, but the football player fought back and was shot in the chest.
The 17-year-old defendant in the botched robbery was brought to trial last week and faces charges of several serious crimes, including attempted murder.
Pearsall was placed on the non-football injured list last week and will miss at least four games at the start of the 2024 season.
The 49ers are confident Pearsall will play this season, with general manager John Lynch telling KNBR last week that he would “absolutely” suit up for the Niners.
“He will play this year. We will give him time when it is right for him physically, mentally and emotionally. But I can tell you he is doing really well,” he said.
The 49ers have not yet announced an official timetable for his return, but the time frame in which he would be eligible to return means it would be in Week 5, when the Niners host the Cardinals on October 6.
