San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, just 50 days after he was shot through the chest during a robbery attempt 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 be on the field Sunday.
“He’s got roles on special teams, he’s got roles at receiver,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see how the game unfolds. But he’s healthy and ready to go.”
“Ricky’s been studying, he’s been getting a ton of stuff. I know he’ll get better as the year goes, so we understand that with our expectations and everything. Missing all the practice, missing some time, makes it harder just schematically and everything getting in and out of the huddle, but he’s working his butt off to catch up. He’s gotten better each day and he’ll get better each 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 Monday, a little more than six weeks after the Aug. 31 shooting. He brought a jolt of energy and joy to the practice.
“He’s doing a really good job, obviously being back and just bringing the juice, going really fast in and out of his cuts and creating some really good separation,” quarterback Brock Purdy said Thursday.
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General manager John Lynch, speaking on KNBR earlier in the day before Shanahan announced Pearsall would play, had said it was trending in a “good direction.” Pearsall didn’t play in the preseason as he dealt with a shoulder injury.
“I can’t say enough about the kid and how he’s handled the whole deal,” Lynch said.
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The 49ers may need Pearsall to help fill the void of Jennings, who threw for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and likely would have had a second touchdown grab in overtime of the Super Bowl if San Francisco hadn’t busted a protection and given defensive tackle Chris Jones a free run at Purdy.
Jennings leads the 49ers with 404 receiving yards, followed by Brandon Aiyuk (351 yards) and Deebo 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 against the Seattle Seahawks but has taken part in every practice this week, albeit in a blue, no-contact jersey. Shanahan said he’ll play with no limitations.
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 ramps up his activity level.
McCaffrey will work out one day, rest, and then push it a little harder the next day. Lynch said McCaffrey is “doing incredibly well,” with no setbacks to this point.
“There’s no timeline or anything but he’s doing a little more each day,” Lynch said.
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(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)
