Who Should I Start? Davante Adams or Ricky Pearsall

Monday, February 2, 9:44 AM

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that he has "no reason to believe" that wide receiver Davante Adams won't be back in 2026, according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop. Adams signed a two-year, $44 million contract with the team in March of last year, so the 33-year-old is under contract with the team through the 2026 campaign. In his first year in L.A. while working with McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford, Adams showed he still has it, catching 60 of his 114 targets for 789 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns in only 14 regular-season games. He wasn't all that efficient and took a back seat to star wideout Puka Nacua, but the six-time Pro Bowler was Stafford's go-to target in the red zone. Adams finished as the WR8 in half-PPR scoring. With Nacua not going anywhere as the target hog in this offense, Adams will be a regression candidate if he's unable to find the end zone as he did in 2025. There's also the chance of Adams' value tanking if Stafford retires this offseason.

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.