Niners rookie Ricky Pearsall reportedly expected to return to training six weeks after being shot in the chest

Ricky Pearsall’s recovery is about to hit the field for the San Francisco 49ers.

According to Albert Breer of The MMQB, the rookie first-round pick is expected to return to training next week. That return would take about six weeks after Pearsall was shot in the chest during an alleged attempted robbery on September 1.

The Niners selected Pearsall 31st overall out of Florida in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was already dealing with injuries during training camp when the shooting postponed his NFL debut indefinitely.

Pearsall’s wound, while bloody, was fortunately a thorough wound that avoided vital organs, allowing for a faster recovery than usually seen in victims shot in the chest. He left hospital the day after the shooting and visited Nine’s practice a few days later. The Niners were confident he would play this season and a return to practice in mid-October would confirm that.

Pearsall has attended several Niners games in street clothes this season, including their “Thursday Night Football” game against the Seattle Seahawks this week. Officially, he is on reserve/non-football injury in San Francisco.

In the incident in question, a 17-year-old man from Tracy, California allegedly attempted to steal a Rolex watch from Pearsall at gunpoint. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Pearsall resisted, leading to a struggle that ended with Pearsall being shot in the chest and the suspect in the arm.

From athletics:

The teenager has apologized through his lawyer and is now charged with attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and attempted robbery. The attempted murder charge is the most serious, with the suspect’s attorney claiming to have surveillance footage showing he did not intend to shoot Pearsall.

A big question that remains is whether the suspect will be tried as an adult. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins may request a hearing before a judge to determine whether the juvenile system is equipped to rehabilitate the suspect if he is convicted. If he remains in the juvenile justice system, the suspect cannot live longer than 25 years.

No decision has been announced by Jenkins’ office in the more than a month since the defendant’s arraignment.