49ers’ Ricky Pearsall practices for the first time since being shot

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Just 44 days after he was shot in the chest in downtown San Francisco, 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall returned to practice for the first time Monday.

After their win on Thursday night over the Seattle Seahawks and the mini-bye over the weekend, the Niners held a bonus practice on Monday afternoon.

Any notion that the session would lack energy after a timeout quickly vanished as Pearsall excitedly trotted to the field, danced during stretches and was encouraged by tight end George Kittle to jump into the middle of the team huddle before practices began .

“It meant everything,” said Jacob Cowing, another rookie wideout. “All the adversity he’s faced over the last few months and him overcoming it all and fighting and struggling to get back into football shape… it was just an amazing feeling for everyone to see.” He did put the helmet back on, put the jersey back on and he should go out and be part of the team.

On Friday, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan announced that the team plans to open Pearsall’s 21-day practice window as he returns from the reserve/non-football injured list. The team made the move official just before 1:30 p.m. PT on Monday, allowing Pearsall to participate in his first practice since August 29th.

It’s the next important step in a series of things Pearsall needs to check before he can play his first regular-season NFL game. The 49ers have three weeks to activate Pearsall to play. At that point, they would need to make a corresponding roster move if they activate him. Otherwise, he would return to NFI for the remainder of the season.

Shanahan said Friday that while he suspected Pearsall would need a little more training before he could be included in the squad, he didn’t want to make a judgment until he saw Pearsall at practice. The Niners will have three more practices this week, three next week and then their bye.

The fact that Pearsall has even gotten to this point continues to amaze his teammates and coaches. According to the San Francisco Police Department, Pearsall was shot in the chest after a 17-year-old high school student from nearby Tracy, California, attempted to rob him, leading to a fight between the two. The bullet exited Pearsall’s back and missed vital organs, allowing for a quick recovery that Niners general manager John Lynch called “really, truly miraculous.”

San Francisco placed Pearsall on the non-football injured list on September 2, promising not to rush him so he could make a full recovery. Since then, Pearsall has been moving around the facility, attending meetings while continuing to train.

“It was definitely a surreal feeling when the news broke,” rookie safety Malik Mustapha said Monday. “It all hit us hard because it could have been any of us… definitely it opened our eyes. Thank God he is fine and can now play the game he loves.”

The 49ers used the No. 31 overall pick on Pearsall in April. He spent five seasons in college, including three at Arizona State and two at Florida. Before the shootout, he was slowed by injuries in training camp, a hamstring issue that cost him the first four days and then a left shoulder subluxation that sidelined him for nearly another three weeks.

According to teammates, Pearsall’s return on Monday provided a boost, but that will only increase once he is actually back on the field. Cowing said watching Pearsall’s journey back to the practice field gave him a focused perspective on life.

“Life is too short,” Cowing said. “You never know when time here on this planet will end. I think it opened my eyes to just continue to reach out to family and friends. You never know when life will end, so just appreciate each and every moment.