Ricky Pearsall Had Surprising Perspective About Person Who Shot Him Ahead of Rookie Season

The 2024 first-round pick missed San Francisco's first six games after being shot in the chest.

Pearsall was drafted by San Francisco in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Ricky Pearsall's rookie season was thrown way off course this past summer when, while visiting the Bay Area's Union Square, he was shot in the chest by a 17-year-old trying to rob him.

The San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver spent the night in the hospital—but after some tests and X-rays, was released. He made a full recovery and even returned to the lineup in 2024 after missing the first six weeks of the season.

On Monday morning, the day after the 49ers' Week 18 loss to the Cardinals, Pearsall was asked to reflect on his journey—and offered up a unique perspective about the person who shot him.

"I don't know where he's came from, the environment he grew up in... how he grew up," the 24-year-old explained in the San Francisco locker room. "So I can't judge him as a man just based off one action that he made."

Ricky Pearsall goes in-depth about being shot, and would like to forgive and talk to the kid who shot him during an attempted robbery.

"I don't how how he grew up so, I can't judge him as a man just based off one action that he made. As violent as a crime as it was, god forbid… pic.twitter.com/1ycoUYha88

— KNBR (@KNBR) January 6, 2025

"As violent as a crime as it was, god forbid him doing that to somebody else," he continued. "I don't ever want that to happen. So just being able to forgive him at the end of the day. Like, I have to be able to forgive him to have that weight off my chest. At some point, I do want to talk to the kid and make sure that, if I can create an impact on him in any way, I feel like that would be really big. I'd be definitely open to doing that."

Pearsall was drafted by 49ers with the No. 31 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He finished his rookie season hauling in 31 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns in 11 appearances.

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