49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will play in today's Super Bowl 58 rematch against the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs, a return to the field just 50 days after being shot in Union Square while shopping.

His return likely will help the team better manage the absence of starting receiver Jauan Jennings, who is out this week with a hip injury.

Pearsall was shot in the chest on Aug. 31 by a currently unnamed 17-year-old boy from Tracy. The shooting occurred as the juvenile attempted to rob Pearsall, who ended up with gunshot wounds as well. Both were rushed to the hospital, with neither suffering from any life-threatening injuries, with Pearsall being discharged the following day

“I want to thank GOD for protecting my baby boy. He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him," wrote Pearsall's mother in a now-deleted Facebook post in the shooting's immediate aftermath. "He was shot in the chest and it exited out his back. Thanks be to GOD it missed his vital organs."

The weapon used by the young suspect was legally purchased in Phoenix, Arizona, though how it came to San Francisco is currently unclear. Pearsall, coincidentally, is also from Phoenix, and briefly played college football for nearby Arizona State.

The young boy who shot Pearsall is being has been charged with attempted murder, attempted second-degree robbery and assault with a semiautomatic weapon. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told ABC7 that these were the strongest charges available to her, and that she wanted to use this case to send a message.

"I want it to be clear that San Francisco is not a safe haven for criminal behavior. I know that there was a time period where people thought that lawlessness was something we were going to tolerate. Those days are over," said Jenkins.

Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap, the young teen's attorney, strongly protested the attempted murder charge, saying that the available video footage shows the incident was merely an attempted robbery and not attempted murder. Dunlap also stated that the young suspect is "very sorry, genuinely, that this did happen."

Pearsall returned to practice on Monday to plenty of fanfare from his teammates, and was formally activated for the game-day roster on Saturday.

“Coldest white boy I’ve ever seen,” said fellow 49ers rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing in reference to Pearsall, at Monday's practice. “I ain't gonna lie, swaggiest white boy I've ever seen. Definitely has that ‘it’ factor about him."

Image from Wikimedia