SANTA CLARA – Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall took the next big step toward a remarkable return to the field on Monday.

The 49ers opened the practice window for Pearsall, who began the regular season on the reserve/non-football injured list after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest on August 31.

A one-hour training session is scheduled for Monday in San Francisco, starting at 1:30 p.m

Pearsall, 24, was the victim of an armed robbery in San Francisco when a 17-year-old man from Tracy shot him, police said.

The bullet entered his chest area on the right side and exited near the back of his armpit. The bullet hit no bones or vital organs. Pearsall was released from hospital less than 24 hours after the incident.

After practicing for a week to allow the wound to heal, Pearsall worked out at the 49ers' training facility in Santa Clara and took part in offensive meetings.

He has made tremendous progress in obtaining medical clearance to train with his teammates again.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said the organization will judge whether Pearsall is ready to make his NFL debut based on his appearance during practice sessions. The 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, and it might be too early for Pearsall to wear the uniform.

“I would imagine there would be a longer ramp-up time, but health-wise and everything he's completely fit,” Shanahan said Friday. “But I really won’t decide that until we start watching him train.

“We’re not going to rush it or anything. When he's ready, he's ready. And if not, we have a few weeks.”

The 49ers can add Pearsall to the 53-man roster at any time in the next 21 days. If the 49ers have not made a roster move with Pearsall at the end of that window, they must either place him on the active roster or keep him on the non-football injury list for the remainder of the season.

San Francisco selected Pearsall with the No. 31 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He had a five-year college career that began with three seasons at Arizona State. He finished his career at Florida, where he had a career-high 65 catches for 965 yards last season.

Pearsall (6-foot-3, 192 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and had a vertical jump of 42 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

His combination of route running and sure hands is considered good for the 49ers' offense whether he's facing man-to-man or zone coverage.

Pearsall did not participate in the first four days of training camp after suffering a hamstring injury during offseason training. He also missed 19 days due to a left shoulder subluxation.

He had already returned to practice before the shooting and appeared to be on track to be available for the team's season opener Sept. 9 against the New York Jets.

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