Last season, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was hospitalized after being shot. Pearsall was apprehended by a 17-year-old who tried to rob him. When the situation became more physical, the teenager shot the wide receiver. Pearsall was hospitalized, avoiding major damage to his internal organs.
Policemen eventually apprehended the shooter of the 49ers wide receiver. The district attorney motioned for the gunman to be tried as an adult, so that he may face more severe charges. However, in a recent ruling, the court decided to try the suspect as a minor.
“To date, as Juvenile Probation testified to during this proceeding, all the youths that have ‘satisfactorily completed SF Secure track programing' have reoffended and are either pending felony charges in criminal court or been convicted of at least one felony in adult criminal court before the age of 25,” DA Brooke Jenkins said, per CBS News. “I respect the court's decision and hope that rehabilitation is successful and public safety is preserved in this case.”
Pearsall was the 49ers' first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Florida product was projected to be a potential WR3 for the team who could replace the aging Deebo Samuel's production at some point. However, the incident forced Pearsall to miss the first two weeks of the NFL season. He made his NFL debut in Week 7 of the 2024 season, recording five catches for 21 yards.
Pearsall would finish the season with 31 catches for 400 yards, finding the endzone three times. This season, the 49ers' depleted wide receiver room has given the sophomore pass-catcher a chance to shine. He's had eight catches for 164 yards, including a monster four-catch, 108-yard performance in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.
The wide receiver will most likely etch a name for himself on the 49ers depth chart, even when their star pass-catchers return. The team is headed to Arizona to face the Cardinals in their Week 3 game.
