Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is progressing in his recovery, but the timeline for his NFL debut with the San Francisco 49ers remains uncertain. The earliest Pearsall can be activated from the non-football injury (NFI) list is after the team's Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots. He is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained during a robbery attempt in San Francisco on August 31.
Pearsall has shown significant improvement, though it's still unclear when he'll be ready to take the field.
"I'm not exactly sure the timeline, but I know he's getting a lot healthier," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday, adding that Pearsall "seems great" during their conversations.
Earlier this month, general manager John Lynch expressed confidence that Pearsall would play this season.
"Absolutely, he's going to play this year," Lynch said. "We're going to give him the time to do it, when it's right for him, and that's physically, mentally, emotionally. But I can tell you he's doing really well."
Lynch added, "We're going to take it slow, but I will tell you, he continues to amaze me with how well he's doing."
The 49ers selected Pearsall out of Florida with the 31st overall pick in this year's draft.