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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterSep 2, 2024, 04:29 PM ET
- Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers placed receiver Ricky Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list on Monday, two days after he was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt in San Francisco.
The NFI designation means Pearsall must miss at least the first four games of his rookie season as he recovers from the shooting. San Francisco signed offensive tackle Brandon Parker to a one-year deal to fill the open spot on the 53-man roster.
Pearsall was shot near San Francisco’s Union Square on Saturday afternoon after a 17-year-old male from Tracy, California, attempted to rob him, resulting in a struggle between the two, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Both Pearsall and the suspect were shot as a result of the struggle.
After Pearsall was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, police announced that he was in “stable” condition. He was upgraded to “fair” condition on Sunday morning and released from the hospital soon after, less than 24 hours after the shooting.
Pearsall’s mother posted on social media Sunday morning that her son had been shot in the chest with the bullet exiting out his back and missing vital organs. Before the shooting, Pearsall had participated in an autograph signing at an event center before going to Union Square, ABC 7 in San Francisco reported.
According to the police, Pearsall was walking alone shortly after 3:30 p.m. local time Saturday when the suspect attempted to rob him with a gun at the corner of Geary and Grant streets. The San Francisco Fire Department said a 911 call came in at 3:38 p.m. PT with police and emergency personnel arriving soon after.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the suspect was arrested right after the shooting Saturday and noted that the initial investigation indicated the suspect was acting alone “as far as we know.” Scott added that police would continue to scour the many surveillance cameras in the area as the investigation continues.
Scott said there was “no indication” that the suspect had targeted Pearsall because he is a professional football player and added that there was one gun involved with multiple shots fired during the attempted robbery.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said a charging decision on the suspect, whom she noted is a juvenile, will be made Tuesday or Wednesday.
The 49ers selected Pearsall with the No. 31 pick in April’s NFL draft. He’d been slowed in training camp by shoulder and hamstring issues but returned to practice last week wearing a blue “no contact” jersey.
In signing Parker, the Niners added some insurance at offensive tackle as they continue to work on adjusting left tackle Trent Williams‘ contract. Williams has been a holdout during camp as he seeks a raise and guarantees on the contract he signed with the team in 2021.
Parker was with the Niners throughout the preseason, working as a backup to current starting tackles Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore. The 49ers open the season at home on Sept. 9 against the New York Jets.
