George Kittle and Trent Williams explain how the 49ers were motivated by Ricky Pearsall's hit

A blessed distraction is always better than a tragic outcome.

That's where the San Francisco 49ers find themselves after their otherwise relaxed Labor Day weekend was turned upside down by the shocking shooting of rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on Saturday – an unwelcome climax to an already eventful few days.

“As far as Ricky goes, we're all so thankful that he's going to be OK,” Niners All-Pro tight end George Kittle told USA TODAY Sports when asked about Pearsall, who was released from the hospital Sunday after a gunshot wound to the chest.

Kittle said it was “wild” to hear the news.

“I don't know all the details,” he added. “I try not to ask him because I feel like this is an incredibly traumatic event that I wouldn't put anyone I know through. I think Coach (Kyle) Shanahan and (GM) John (Lynch) have done a great job of reassuring everyone to just let Ricky know that we're here for him if he needs anything from us and to give him time.”

Pearsall will get that opportunity, as San Francisco's first-round draft pick is expected to miss the start of the season after landing on the reserve/non-football injured list.

“We felt that our greatest concern had to be Ricky's physical, emotional and mental well-being, and ultimately decided that the best thing for Ricky was to give him some time,” Lynch said Monday.

“When we signed Ricky, we did it for the long haul. And Ricky is going to be a fantastic player here. He's eager. He was disappointed, but he understood that we put him on that list and what that meant. It's a minimum of four weeks. We're just going to take it as it comes.”

But Pearsall, who struggled with shoulder problems during training camp, has returned to the club's facility to see his teammates and is already having a positive impact on the field for the 2024 49ers.

“I felt compelled to come back after that more than anything else,” All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said Tuesday as he ended his sabbatical and signed a revised contract extension – the club's last major football deal after wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk landed his own four-year contract extension on Thursday.

“In my head, I just wanted to come back and do something with the team.”

Williams, 36, said he felt attracted to Pearsall, 12 years his junior, during a brief appearance at offseason OTAs and wanted to be there for his recovery.

“Ricky caught my eye,” Williams said. “He made the effort to come up to me and introduce himself.”

“I immediately felt his charisma and could just sense that he was such a sincere person. … I wanted to be there.”

The affection for an untested rookie from a veteran team seeking its third Super Bowl berth in six seasons and setting a new record with its sixth Lombardi Trophy already seems to be widespread in the locker room.

“I've never worked with anyone who's had to go through anything like this, so we're all here for him,” Kittle said. “And I know it's going to take him some time to process this. But we're obviously grateful that he's OK.”

The 49ers open their season at home against the New York Jets on Monday night.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ricky Pearsall fires: 49ers sign rookie wide receiver