Lynch is confident Pearsall will be a contributor for the 49ers in 2024. Originally published on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — General manager John Lynch didn’t hesitate Tuesday when asked if 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Piersall was expected to get on the field and contribute this season.
“Oh yeah,” Lynch replied. “He’s doing amazingly well.”
Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted armed robbery near San Francisco’s Union Square on Saturday afternoon and spent about 21 hours in Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Trauma Center.
The 49ers selected Piersall with the 31st overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and despite limited practice time due to hamstring and shoulder issues, San Francisco has seen enough play from Piersall to be optimistic about his future.
“When we drafted Ricky, we did it with a long-term view,” Lynch said. “He’s going to be a great player here. He’s committed.”
The 49ers placed Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injured list on Monday, which will prevent him from playing in the first four games of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Piersall could be eligible to make his NFL debut as early as Oct. 6 in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium.
But Lynch suggested it might not be entirely unrealistic for Pearsall to be cleared to return within a month.
“This is kind of uncharted territory,” Lynch said. “Something like this doesn’t happen every day. If this was just a scenario and I didn’t hurt my other shoulder as well, I just felt like there was a lot to work through, just looking at the physical aspect.”
“We thought that was too much to ask so we turned to the medical experts, who also thought asking him to return within four weeks was too much to ask.”
Pearsall, 23, has been undergoing physical therapy since suffering a subluxation of his left shoulder during practice on Aug. 6.
The bullet wound was on Pearsall’s right side and somehow penetrated his back, but did not cause any further serious injury.
“He’s doing amazingly well. He’s a lot better than he was yesterday,” Lynch said. “It’s really miraculous. His organs are unaffected. His nervous system seems to be all fine. It’s really amazing.”
Lynch said the 49ers had to make a quick decision about whether to place Pearsall on the non-football injured list.
The 49ers used his roster spot on Monday to re-sign veteran backup offensive lineman Brandon Parker.
“I wish we had more time,” Lynch said, “but at the end of the day we felt our number one concern was Ricky’s health, his physical, emotional and mental health.”
“Ultimately, we decided what’s best for Ricky is to give him some time. He’s going to need that time physically, emotionally and mentally. That’s the decision we’ve made.”
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