Pearsall returned to 49ers practice for the first time since the shooting

SANTA CLARA – Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall took the next big step toward a remarkable return to the field Monday.

The 49ers opened the practice window for Pearsall, who began the regular season on the reserve/non-football injury list on Aug. 31 after suffering a gunshot wound to his chest.

San Francisco will hold a one-hour practice on Monday, starting at 1:30 p.m

Pearsall, 24, was the victim of an attempted armed robbery in San Francisco when a 17-year-old male from Tracy shot him, police said.

The bullet entered his right side of the chest and exited behind his armpit. The bullet did not hit any bones or vital organs. Pearsall was released from the hospital less than 24 hours after the incident.

After taking a week off training to heal the injury, Pearsall is working out at the 49ers' practice facility in Santa Clara and attending offensive meetings.

He made great strides in getting medical clearance to resume practice with his teammates.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said the organization will determine Pearsall's readiness to make his NFL debut based on how he looks during practice sessions. The 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, and Pearsall's time in uniform could be considered soon.

“I think it's going to be a long ramp-up period, but health-wise and everything, he's absolutely good to go,” Shanahan said Friday. “But I won't really settle on that until we start seeing him practice.

“We're not going to rush it or anything. When he's ready, he's ready. And if he's not there, we've got a couple of weeks.”

The 49ers can choose to activate Pearsall to the 53-man roster at any point in the next 21 days. If the 49ers do not make a roster move with Pearsall by the end of that window, they must either activate him to the active roster or place him on the non-football injury list for the rest of the season.

San Francisco selected Pearsall with the No. 31 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He had a five-year college career, beginning with three seasons at Arizona State. He finished his career at Florida, where he posted a career-high of 65 catches for 965 yards last season.

Pearsall (6-foot-3, 192 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and posted a vertical leap of 42 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

His combination of route-running and sure hands is seen as a good fit for the 49ers' offense whether he's going against man-to-man or zone coverage.

Pearsall missed the first four days of training camp after suffering a hamstring injury during an offseason workout. He missed 19 days with a strained left shoulder.

He had already returned to practice before the shooting, and appeared to be on pace to be available for the team's season opener on September 9 against the New York Jets.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast