A blessed distraction beats a tragic outcome every time.
That’s where the San Francisco 49ers are after what should have been a relaxing Labor Day weekend was upended by the shocking shooting of rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on Saturday – an unwelcome punctuation to what was an already eventful few days.
“When it comes to Ricky, we’re all just so thankful he’s gonna be OK,” Niners All-Pro tight end George Kittle told USA TODAY Sports when asked about Pearsall, who was discharged from the hospital Sunday after being shot in the chest.
Kittle said hearing the news was “wild.”
“I don’t know all the details,” he added. “I try not to ask him, because I feel like that’s an incredibly traumatizing event that I would not anyone that I know to go through. I think Coach (Kyle) Shanahan and (GM) John (Lynch) did a great job of just reaffirming to everybody to just let Ricky know that we’re here for him if he needs anything from us and to take his time.”
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Pearsall will have that opportunity, San Francisco’s first-round draft pick set to miss the start of the season after landing on the reserve/non-football injury list.
“(W)e felt the number one thing we had to be concerned with was Ricky’s well-being physically, emotionally, mentally, and ultimately decided that the best thing for Ricky was to have a little bit of time,” Lynch said Monday.
“When we drafted Ricky, we did it for the long term. And Ricky is going to be a fantastic player here. He’s eager. He was disappointed but understood that we put him on that list and what that entails. It’s four weeks, at least. We’re just going to take this as it comes.”
Yet Pearsall, who’d battled a shoulder issue during training camp, has returned to the club’s facility to see his teammates and is already having a positive on-field effect for the 2024 49ers.
‘I felt more compelled to come back after that than anything,” All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said Tuesday, when he ended his holdout and signed a revised contract extension – the club’s last major piece of football business after wideout Brandon Aiyuk landed his own four-year extension Thursday.
“In my mind, I just wanted to get back, get around the team.”
The 36-year-old Williams said he was drawn to Pearsall, who is 12 years younger, during a brief appearance at offseason OTAs and wanted to be present for his recovery.
‘Ricky stood out to me,’ said Williams. “He did go out of his way to come and introduce himself to me.
“I just instantly felt his vibe and could just feel he’s such a genuine person. … I wanted to be around for that.’
The affection for an unproven newcomer by a veteran team seeking its third Super Bowl berth in six seasons and in pursuit of a record-tying sixth Lombardi Trophy already seems to be common in the locker room.
“I’ve never worked with someone who’s had to go through something like that, so we’re just all here for him,” said Kittle. “And I know that’s gonna take some time for him to process. But we’re clearly thankful he’s OK.’
The 49ers open their season at home against the New York Jets on Monday night.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.