San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will enter the 2025 NFL season with more than football on his mind. One year after the 24-year-old was shot in the chest, the near-death experience has remained on his mind.
“Unfortunately, I revisit that every single night I go to bed,” Pearsall told ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “I kind of just carry that with me. And now I think it's not as much of avoiding it or revisiting it or not revisiting it. It's more of how I deal with it and the light that I put on it. And for me it's more of a positive light and the things that I can get out of that and more of a positive direction and try to inspire other people … I've been doing a better job of dealing with it myself.”
Pearsall was shot during an armed robbery attempt that took place while he was shopping. The Arizona native wondered if he would ever play football again, but he made his NFL debut 50 days after the incident.
The Florida product enjoyed a productive 2024 that saw him tally 31 receptions and three touchdowns for the 49ers. Injuries to the team's receivers forced the rookie to step up, and he figures to be an even bigger part of the group’s 2025 attack.
“I think Ricky just gets better and better the more he is out there,” 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “He's just got to stay out there and stay healthy and take care of his body. I think the sky's the limit for him.”
The 49ers will face the Seattle Seahawks on the road in Week 1.
