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“49ers' Ricky Pearsall makes his NFL debut against the Chiefs,” said Kyle Shanahan

San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, just 50 days after he was shot through the chest during a robbery in San Francisco.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Friday that Pearsall, the team's first-round pick this year, is coming off the non-football injury list and will be on the field Sunday.

“He has roles on special teams and roles as a receiver,” Shanahan said. “We'll see how the game develops. But he’s healthy and ready to go.”

“Ricky learned, he learned a lot of things. I know he's going to get better as the year goes on, so we understand that with our expectations and everything. Missing all of practice, missing some time, just makes it harder schematically to get everything in and out of the huddle, but he's working hard to catch up. He’s gotten better every day and will get better every week.”

Fellow receiver Jauan Jennings, one of the 49ers' standouts in the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in February, will miss Sunday's return game with a hip injury. Shanahan said Pearsall would have played Sunday even if Jennings had been active.

The 49ers opened Pearsall's practice window on Monday, just over six weeks after the Aug. 31 shooting. He brought a dash of energy and joy to the practice.

“He's doing a really good job, obviously being back and just bringing the juice, getting in and out of his cuts really quickly and providing really good separation,” quarterback Brock Purdy said Thursday.

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General manager John Lynch had said on KNBR the day before Pearsall was announced by Shanahan that things were trending in a “good direction.” Pearsall did not play in pre-season as he struggled with a shoulder injury.

“I can’t say enough about the boy and how he handled the whole thing,” Lynch said.

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The 49ers might need Pearsall to fill the void left by Jennings, who threw for a touchdown, caught a touchdown and probably would have caught a second touchdown in overtime in Las Vegas had the 49ers not broken through a protection and given Chris a defensive tackle Jones had free rein at Purdy. Jennings leads the 49ers with 404 receiving yards, followed by Brandon Aiyuk (351 yards) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (335).

Meanwhile, running back Jordan Mason will also be “ready to play” against the Chiefs, Shanahan said. Mason sprained his shoulder in the Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks but attended every practice this week, albeit in a blue non-contact jersey. Shanahan said he will play without restrictions.

Lynch also gave an update during his KNBR appearance on running back Christian McCaffrey, who is taking a measured approach to the Achilles tendonitis that has plagued him this summer. Lynch said the 49ers will increase McCaffrey's workouts as he increases his activity level. He will train one day, rest, and then push himself a little harder the next day.

Lynch said McCaffrey is doing “incredibly well” and there have been no setbacks so far.

“There’s no schedule or anything, but he does a little bit more every day,” Lynch said.

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(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)

By Vanessa

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