The San Francisco 49ers placed rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list Monday, meaning he will miss the 49ers’ first four regular-season games.
Pearsall, 23, was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco on Saturday. Pearsall, who didn’t need surgery, was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon.
“He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors and staff at San Francisco General Hospital,” the 49ers said Sunday.
The robbery attempt and shooting occurred in the Union Square area of San Francisco on Saturday afternoon. Police said a 17-year-old suspect from Tracy, Calif., about 60 miles east of San Francisco, was in custody, and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Saturday that she expected to make a charging decision by Tuesday or Wednesday.
The 49ers begin their season at home against the New York Jets next Monday. By moving Pearsall to the reserve/NFI list, they created an additional roster spot, which they used to sign offensive tackle Brandon Parker on Monday.
There was a fair chance Pearsall, the No. 31 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, would not have suited up for Monday’s opener even if the shooting incident hadn’t occurred. The wide receiver was dealing with a shoulder injury in training camp and San Francisco wanted to give the shoulder maximum time to recover.
It’s part of the reason they kept seven receivers — one more than usual — on their initial 53-man roster. Brandon Aiyuk’s since-resolved contract dispute and Jauan Jennings’ oblique injury were also factors. Chris Conley is expected to function as Aiyuk’s backup at split end while rookie Jacob Cowing will be Deebo Samuel’s understudy at the other spot.
The 49ers also have the option of using Ronnie Bell as a backup and on special teams. The team usually has five receivers in uniform on game day.
Parker, the newly signed tackle, was with the team throughout training camp and the preseason but was released at the roster cutdown. Monday’s move essentially signals Parker won the battle against veteran Chris Hubbard to be the team’s swing tackle.
With star tackle Trent Williams’ holdout ongoing, the 49ers had only two tackles — Jaylon Moore and Colton McKivitz — on the roster. So they needed to add an extra body at the position before practice week for the opener against the New York Jets.
If and when Williams re-signs and ends his holdout, San Francisco will have to make yet another move to open room on the 53-man roster. If the 49ers activate Pearsall, he will count as one of their eight return designations from the injured reserve, physically unable to perform or NFI lists.
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