Who Should I Start? Cooper Kupp or Ricky Pearsall

Monday, February 9, 1:28 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught six of his 12 targets for 61 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. Kupp led the Seahawks' receiving corps in all three of those categories, taking those responsibilities from Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba was smothered by Christian Gonzalez for most of the game, and he also missed a small portion of the game for a concussion check. Kupp has now won two Super Bowls in five years. He got his first ring with the Rams, and now, he gets his second ring at the culmination of his first campaign in Seattle. He finished the regular season with a modest 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns, but he produced when it mattered most under the international spotlight on Sunday night. Kupp should remain in the No. 2 receiver role for next season, but he ranks outside the top 36 receivers ahead of 2026 fantasy football drafts.

Tuesday, January 27, 12:58 PM

Heading into 2025, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was a popular pick to have a breakout season. However, the former first-round pick battled through a knee injury and recorded just 36 receptions for 528 yards and zero touchdowns on 53 targets across nine games played. Availability has been a consistent issue for Pearsall so far in his NFL career, as he's played in just 20 games across his first two seasons. Even when on the field, the 25-year-old has not yet emerged as a featured option in the San Francisco passing game. He's logged just 99 targets in his career, an average of fewer than five per contest. However, Pearsall will likely have an opportunity for a larger role with the 49ers in 2026. Star San Francisco tight end George Kittle (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the team's NFC Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles and will likely miss time in 2026 as a result. Additionally, 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings is set to hit unrestricted free agency in mid-March after leading the team's wide receiver corps in targets in 2025. Fully buying in on Pearsall remains difficult until he proves the ability to stay healthy for an extended stretch. Still, he appears to have a clear pathway to a lead role in the San Francisco passing game in 2026.