The San Francisco 49ers can breathe a sigh of relief because Ricky Pearsall has been released from the hospital after an encounter with an armed robber. However, this good news was accompanied by a bad one. Given Pearsall’s hardship and his medical circumstances, he’s projected to miss out on a couple of regular season games.

Adam Schefter provided everyone with a much-needed detail on the 49ers’ receiver. On his Instagram Stories, he shared Pearsall’s photo with an update that said, “San Francisco 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall to miss at least 4 games after being sh-t in an attempted robbery.” However, things are going a little better than they were expected to be.

On the wake of this good news, the San Francisco 49ers released a statement that said, “San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital this afternoon as he continues to recover from a bullet wound to his chest,” and that, “He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors and staff at San Francisco General Hospital.”

Another eyebrow raising fact about the whole debacle is that the 17-year-old who sh-t Pearsall was also admitted in San Francisco General Hospital, the same place that released the receiver. The receiver mother got emotional after the incident and shared a heartfelt message on her Facebook handle.

“He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him. He was sh-t in the chest and it exited out his back. Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs … My son was spared today by the grace of GOD,” Erin Pearsall wrote on Facebook. While Adam Schefter says that it would take Pearsall at least 4 games to be back on the field, an analysis from Cody Benjamin of CBS paints a different picture.

Realistic tentative timeline of Ricky Pearsall bouncing back

Unfortunately for Ricky Pearsall, recovery isn’t just as simple as taking bed rest and taking his meds. There are so many parallels to his condition. For instance, the mental trauma caused by the incident might stay with him throughout his life. In the past, Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards will miss at least 4 games in 2024 due to PTSD that stems from a shooting years ago.

Current NFL protocols suggest that players suffering an NFI (Non-Football-related Injuries) are required to miss 4 games. On top of that, this injury does not count toward the 53-man roster. Per Cody Benjamin’s column, doctors at Stanford and USCF were surprised by Pearsall’s early release. According to the doctors, any injuries to torso or chest due to g-n sh-ts are automatically assumed to be “instantly fatal.”

Doctors suggest that for Pearsall to be back at his nearly fullest potential, it might take 4-6 months. That timeline might fluctuate depending on his mental health as well. For now, the 49ers will have to rely on Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk for the times to come.