49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall is progressing in his recovery from a gunshot wound, but his timeline for a return remains uncertain.
The team can activate him from the non-football injury list after the Week 4 game against the Patriots.
“I’m not exactly sure the timeline, but I know he’s getting a lot healthier,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com.
General Manager John Lynch has expressed confidence that Pearsall would play this season, but the 49ers likely will be deliberate in his return.
Pearsall, the team’s first-round draft pick, was shot in the chest Aug. 31 during an attempted robbery. His chest will have to heal fully before he receives medical clearance for full football activities.
Pearsall missed much of training camp and the preseason with a shoulder injury that he previously had in college, so Pearsall will have some catching up to do when he gets back to practice.