49ers long snapper receives hate online after Ricky Pearsall tweet amid previous offensive ‘liberal’ posts
49ers long snapper Taybor Pepper had to disable comments on a Ricky Pearsall post on X after he was targeted with political hate for his liberal views on the social media platform.
Pepper, 30, went to X on Sunday after learning that Pearsall was in serious but stable condition following a gunshot wound to the chest in a street robbery in San Francisco on Saturday.
“Good to hear Ricky is stable,” Pepper posted.
He later added, referring to the conservatives who had flooded his initial post about the rookie wide receiver: “I can’t believe I had to ignore the responses to my last tweet.”
Pepper has previously lashed out at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for attending a convention with Donald Trump this year, and at the Pat McAfee Show for its lack of investigation into women’s boxing at the Olympics on X. He has also been attacked by Republican users on X for his left-wing views online, despite having little to do with Pearsall.
49ers long snapper Taybor Pepper faced hate on X for his liberal views after he tweeted that he was glad to hear that Ricky Persall was in stable condition
Pepper later responded to conservatives who criticized him on X, though 49ers fans also supported him
Are you still [a] “Liberal piece of shit?” someone responded to Pepper’s first X-post on Pearsall.
“Democrat,” another user noted.
“Should be a wake-up call to vote RED,” someone stressed to Pepper. “Everyone knows liberal policies have destroyed many communities in California and across the country.”
However, 49ers fans came to their player’s defense, responding fiercely to those who criticized Pepper for his political beliefs in his post on Pearsall.
“Public safety =/= politics but I don’t know what you’re all responding to,” one person shared. “Praying for Ricky and the safety of our city.”
Pepper previously criticized Pat McAfee and NABJ for their conservative views
“I don’t see why we can’t just put politics aside for a moment and appreciate that another life wasn’t taken,” another user said. “I hope your teammate recovers and gets back on the field destroying the defense. It might not be this year but I hope he’s 100% again.”
“I hope he has a quick and full recovery,” one person wrote, referring to Pearsall. “This really sucks. And it’s 0% about football.”
Pepper, who played in 17 games last season, is likely to be favored as the 49ers’ primary long snapping option when the team takes on the New York Jets at home on Sept. 9. He signed with San Francisco in 2020 after going undrafted in 2016.
Pepper played for Michigan State in college (2012-15).