Ricky Pearsall ‘is shot for his Rolex in crime-ridden San Francisco’ a week before NFL rookie’s first 49ers game

San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was shot during a robbery incident in the city’s Union Square.

Pearsall is now in stable condition and the suspect is in custody, District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin told NBC’s affiliate in the city. 

He was reportedly targeted over his Rolex watch. There are also unconfirmed claims that Pearsall was at an autograph signing when the shooting took place.  

The 23-year-old Arizona native is one week away from his first NFL game against the New York Jets on September 9, although his status for that contest was already clouded by a shoulder injury. A wide receiver, Pearsall was taken with the 31st pick of April’s NFL Draft after playing collegiately at Arizona State and Florida.

A 49ers spokesman did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.  

San Francisco has been plagued by shootings for years, although Mayor London N. Breed boasted in April that violent crime was down 14 percent compared with the same time frame in 2023. Specifically, gun violence was down 38 percent over the first quarter of 2024, according to City Hall.

Violent crime had skyrocketed in San Francisco during the pandemic, with 56 and 48 homicides in 2021 and 2020, respectively.  

Pearsall had been performing well in training camp before his shoulder injuries.

With starting receiver Brandon Aiyuk holding out until this week, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Pearsall impressed coaches and teammates with his polish.

‘I don’t like to compliment rookies too much, but I like his game,’ cornerback Isaac Yiadom said in early August, as quoted by the Associated Press. ‘I think he got some confidence, too. He got some dog in him, so he knows it. He knows he’s pretty good. I just hope that he continues to work. That’s the thing I like about him. He just goes to work. He just shuts up and he just goes to work.’

Coach Kyle Shannahan’s offense is notoriously difficult for young players – receivers in particular – but Pearsall appeared to grasping the scheme.

‘I think I’ve took big strides since I’ve got here,’ Pearsall said. ‘In the beginning, yes it was a little difficult. Coming into an offense like this, that’s very complex, there’s a lot to it. Trying to learn it all in one day is impossible. So I just kind of told myself that over and over again and just each day how I can get better and improve and knowing the playbook.’