With 1:32 left on the clock before the half of the San Francisco 49ers game in Week 7, the crowd at Levi’s® Stadium rose to its feet and cheered on rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall as he hauled in a six-yard pass from quarterback Brock Purdy . The roar was loud enough to be heard behind closed press box windows, a fitting response to the remarkable comeback Pearsall completed so early in his NFL career.

It’s a first-career catch that will be hard to forget.

“After that catch, my teammates patted me down and said they were happy for me and proud of me,” Pearsall said. “Then it all happened. The crowd got a little loud there. I took the opportunity to be thankful for everything that led up to that and all the blessings that came with it.”

The 49ers 2024 NFL Draft pick was the victim of an armed robbery and was shot in the chest the weekend before the Labor Day holiday. The injury landed him on the Reserve/Non-Injury list to start the year, ultimately delaying his NFL debut until almost midseason.

“The biggest hurdle for me was healing the wound,” Pearsall said. “There was obviously a lot of scar tissue built up in the area… I just worked through that, making sure I got all of that working and getting that scar tissue out. Once I started to feel better range of motion and pain tolerance sensibly, that’s when I’m heading in the right direction to practice and train.”

Pearsall finished his first appearance with three catches for 21 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, he ended up playing 48 offensive snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs (76 percent of all offensive snaps) with the 49ers’ top three wide receivers Jauan Jennings (hip), Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) were all sidelined in the second half of the game.

“It meant everything,” Pearsall said. “Obviously, all the adversity I’ve been through over the last few months has been really good to get back out there with my boys. I think that’s ultimately what’s refreshing for me. When the incident first happened, the first What I was thinking about was the guys in this locker room, the coaches in the locker room, the whole staff.”

“We celebrated that with him most of the week because it was great to have him back and he looked great in practice,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He was going to calm down a little bit (Sunday), it changed a little bit when Deebo went out, and then it changed a lot when Aiyuk went out. He had to do more than we expected, and I was proud of him because it’s great to have him back to have.”

“It was great having Ricky back for his first game,” Purdy said. “Seeing him back out there and making cuts and plays, he’s a baller too. We’re really excited for him and for his growth and to bring him along.”

Pearsall’s ability to beat man coverage, great hands and route running were just a few of the skills that stood out to him as a college prospect and could help shore up a 49ers wide receiver room struggling through several injuries.

Shanahan confirmed a torn ACL and MCL for Aiyuk and the availability of Jennings and Samuel Sr. on Monday. is still in doubt as long-time NFC rivals the Dallas Cowboys head to Levi’s® Stadium in Week 8. The team is now looking to Pearsall, including to take on bigger roles in the future.

“To me it’s much bigger than football,” Pearsall said. “(Aiyuk’s) going through something right now, and (it’s about) making sure I show my love to him, send prayers his way and look at that guy. He’s a really good friend of mine. In this game is he went down and I had to play more than expected, than actually everyone expected.