As the San Francisco 49ers started their bonus Monday practice ahead of their Week 7 game with the Kansas City Chiefs, there was only ever going to be one pick to break down their pre-practice huddle.
It was the man they took with their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Ricky Pearsall, who gave the team a huge boost with his return to the field.
Having had his practice window opened on Monday, wide receiver Pearsall took to the field at the 49ers' performance facility 44 days after he was shot in an attempted armed robbery in San Francisco. Pearsall incredibly avoided damage to his organs despite being shot through the chest but has still spent the first six weeks of the season on the non-football injury list.
Now he has a chance of featuring in San Francisco's Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs.
It remains to be seen whether the 49ers will deem him healthy enough to give Pearsall the opportunity to make his debut in such a high-profile matchup. However, his excitement at simply being back at practice permeated through the rest of the locker room, with quarterback Brock Purdy among those to take notice of how loose Pearsall was in Monday's session.
"It was a Monday practice and he was juiced,” Purdy said, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic . "It was pretty cool."
The extra juice Pearsall brought to proceedings may, in part, be a product of a changed outlook on life following the August 31 incident.
Asked how Pearsall had changed following their first meeting, rookie right guard Dominick Puni told reporters: "I think, now, the only difference is he's just real grateful for everything because nobody really knows until you go through something like that.
"I don't know. You can just tell how grateful he is to be here. He's just taking everything in now, just day by day. We just love him as a person."
Jacob Cowing, meanwhile, expressed similar affection for Pearsall as a person and reserved an amusing compliment for his fellow rookie wideout.
"Coldest white boy I've ever seen," said Cowing. "Swaggiest white boy I've ever seen for sure. Definitely has that 'it' factor about him. Like I said before, just his swag, his style, his style to play football, even outside of football.
"Just a great dude. He likes to have fun hanging out with the guys. Likes the game, too. So, just all around, just, he has that 'it' factor, for sure."
"I don’t think there’s any stage that’s too bright for him."
San Francisco may decide it is still too early for Pearsall to take to the huge stage of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, but it's clear that his energy will be a significant asset for the Niners as they enter the teeth of their schedule.
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