"He’s just a godsend”: Trent Williams makes feelings known on Ricky Pearsall after 49ers WR’s shooting incident

The San Francisco 49ers picked Rocky Pearsall with the 31st pick in the 2024 NFL draft. However, the young wide receiver had to wait for his NFL debut after he was shot during an attempted robbery on Aug. 31 last year.

Pearsall was shot in the chest in San Francisco's Union Square while he was shopping. The 49ers' first-round draft pick was rushed to a hospital in San Francisco, where he recovered from his near-death experience.

The 24-year-old is training with the team, gearing up for the new season. One of his teammates, Trent Williams, is inspired by the WR's resilience and outlook towards life, especially after Pearsall said he was open to meeting the 17-year-old suspect who shot him during the botched robbery.

“It’s refreshing to come across a guy that, in this world we live in, where [there are] so many issues and everybody wants to harp on what’s going on, somebody who actually lives with forgiveness, and doesn’t really look at himself like a victim, and is still willing to share his story to help others. He’s just a godsend," Williams said.

Pearsall made his NFL debut 50 days after he was shot. He made 11 appearances, four as a starter for the 49ers after recovering from his chest wound.

Expectations high from Ricky Pearsall after emerging as QB Brock Purdy's top target

More than a year after the incident, Ricky Pearsall is preparing to deliver on the expectations as he will be Brock Purdy’s No. 1 target. He is expected to be the No. 1 choice for the receiver role after injury concerns to Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Jordan Watkins.

Purdy trained with the 24-year-old in the offseason and took a lot of positives from his unpolished game.

“In our offense, it's usually steps, timing, you're breaking at a certain angle, and last year Ricky was raw with his talent," Purdy said. "He had it, but he also had to learn our system, our timing, and where I'm throwing the ball. He's got a lot of shimmy, which is great. We need that, specifically against man coverage to create separation, and we love that.”

There will be plenty of eyes in Pearsall when he takes the gridiron for the Niners' season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.