Who Should I Start? Adam Thielen or Ricky Pearsall

Friday, May 2, 12:02 PM

Carolina Panthers veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen said that he talked with his family, and they wanted him to play in 2025. He plans to go through a similar process after this season, which is the final year of his contract. Depending on how the 34-year-old feels and what his family thinks after the 2025 campaign, Thielen could hang up his cleats and retire. He's returning for a third season in Carolina after playing in a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to a hamstring injury. In those 10 games, he caught 48 of his 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns. He should continue to be a trusted weapon for young quarterback Bryce Young out of the slot this year, but the addition of first-round rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan will surely make Thielen harder to trust as a WR3/flex in fantasy based on volume alone like he was in 2023, when he recorded the third 1,000-yard season of his career on 103 targets.

Wednesday, July 23, 6:10 PM

The Athletic's Matt Barrows writes that San Francisco 49ers second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) trained off on a side field at training camp practice on Wednesday, but he should be back for Sunday's practice. Pearsall began training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but it sounds like he might be activated soon. It's good news for the 49ers with Brandon Aiyuk (knee) potentially not returning until around midseason. In addition, fellow second-year wideout Jacob Cowing injured his hamstring in Wednesday's practice. With Deebo Samuel Sr. now out of town as well, the 24-year-old Pearsall has a major opportunity in 2025 to take the next step if he can stay on the field. If the former first-rounder can put his hamstring issues behind him once and for all, he could be in line for a breakout campaign.