San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch says wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is “remarkably okay” after being shot in an attempted robbery over the weekend.
Pearsall was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest after a 17-year-old assailant tried to steal the wide receiver’s Rolex.
Lynch said Pearsall, who was placed on the non-football injury list and will miss the first four games of the season, has exceeded expectations and is focused on getting back on the field.
“I think one of his first concerns was when he would be able to play,” Lynch said Tuesday. “He was wondering (at the hospital) … I don’t know, but the surgeon was there and helped him get through those kinds of thoughts.”
Lynch seemed confident the wide receiver could help the Niners at some point this season, but in the meantime he’s being cautious.
49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is doing ‘remarkably well’ after being shot in the chest
In footage taken after the incident, Pearsall appeared to be moving slowly.
“He’s doing great,” Lynch said. “It’s uncharted territory. It’s not every day you’re faced with something like that. … It was a lot for him to overcome.”
“Our medical experts felt it was too much to ask for him to come back in the next four weeks. We made the decision to give him at least that long. It’s truly, truly miraculous.”
Lynch added: ‘Ultimately, we felt the main thing we needed to be concerned about was Ricky’s well-being, physically, emotionally and mentally.
“He’s going to need that time physically. He’s going to need that time emotionally, mentally… When we recruited Ricky, we did it with a long-term perspective and Ricky is going to be a fantastic player here.”
“He’s anxious, he was disappointed, but he understood that we put him on that list. And what that means is at least four weeks, and we’re going to take this as it comes.”
Not only will Pearsall be able to recover from the shooting, but he will also have time to recover from a shoulder injury he has been dealing with.
According to ESPN, Pearsall “will remain close to the team, attending meetings and working to reintegrate” when the Niners need him.
“Several people there said this is the best outcome that could be had in this situation,” Lynch said.
Pearsall has been recovering well and has even been seen in the 49ers’ weight room.
‘Ricky takes great pride in being available and keeps saying, ‘I promise you I’m not injury prone.’ This is not injury prone… He’s going to be a fantastic player.
‘The times we’ve seen it in the play, it’s exactly what we imagined and more, and we’re looking forward to seeing that happen in due time.
“But first of all, we’ll make sure he’s okay and ready to go.”
Pearsall is working quickly on his return to the team, with reports indicating he already made an appearance in the Niners’ weight room following the shooting.
“I talked to him yesterday, he was in the gym,” KNBR’s Tim Ryan said. “Thank God he’s not worse off than he was… I know, his reputation has grown tremendously around here.”
Police say the 17-year-old suspect was hit by a bullet from his gun during his fight with Pearsall.
Pearsall was released from the hospital on Sunday, 24 hours after he was shot in downtown San Francisco. His condition was initially reported as “serious but stable.”
The incident reportedly took place in the city’s Union Square and it is thought the football player was targeted for his Rolex rather than his NFL status.
Police immediately arrested the 17-year-old suspect, who was not wearing shoes after losing them at the scene of the attack. The suspect remained in custody as of Monday evening and could face possible charges this week.
Authorities say the robbery attempt failed when the suspect took a bullet from his own gun during his struggle with Pearsall, who refused to surrender.