49ers' Ricky Pearsall to make NFL debut vs. Chiefs, Kyle Shanahan says

San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, exactly 50 days after he was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Friday that Pearsall, the team's first-round pick this year, will be removed from the non-football injury list and will take the field Sunday.

“He's got a role on special teams, he's got a role at receiver,” Shanahan said. “We'll see how the game unfolds. But he is healthy and ready to go.”

“Ricky is studying, he's getting a ton of stuff. I know he's going to get better as the years go by, so we understand that with our expectations and everything. Missing all the practices, missing some time, just makes it harder to plan and get everything in and out of the huddle, but he's working his butt off to catch up. He's getting better every day and he's going to get better every week.”

Fellow receiver Jauan Jennings, one of the 49ers' standouts in their Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in February, will miss Sunday's rematch with a hip injury. Shanahan said Pearsall would have played Sunday even if Jennings was active.

San Francisco opened Pearsall's practice window on Monday, more than six weeks after the Aug. 31 shooting. He brings a jolt of energy and joy to practice.

“He's doing a really good job, obviously coming back and just getting juice, going in and out of his cuts really quick and creating some really good separation,” quarterback Brock Purdy said Thursday.

General manager John Lynch, speaking on KNBR the day before Pearsall announced the game, said it was trending in a “good direction”. Pearsall missed the preseason with a shoulder injury.

“I can't say enough about the kid and how he handled the whole deal,” Lynch said.

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Pearsall may be needed to fill the void of Jennings, who threw for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and possibly grabbed a second touchdown in Super Bowl overtime if San Francisco hadn't made a save and given a defensive tackle. Chris Jones made a free run at Purdy.

Jennings leads the 49ers with 404 receiving yards, followed by Brandon Ayuk (351 yards) and DeBo Samuel Sr. (335).

Meanwhile, running back Jordan Mason is also “good to go” against the Chiefs, Shanahan said. Mason sprained his shoulder in the Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks but has participated in every practice this week despite wearing a blue, non-contact jersey. Shanahan said he will play without restrictions.

Lynch, during his KNBR appearance, also provided an update on running back Christian McCaffrey, who is taking a measured approach to the Achilles tendonitis that plagued him this summer. Lynch said the 49ers are staggering McCaffrey's workouts as he increases his activity level.

McCaffrey would work one day, rest, and then push a little harder the next. McCaffrey is “doing incredibly well,” Lynch said, no holds barred at this point.

“There's no timeline or anything but he's doing a little bit more every day,” Lynch said.

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(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)