Who Should I Start? DK Metcalf or Ricky Pearsall

Sunday, March 9, 8:07 PM

Per the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Pittsburgh Steelers are trading for wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. The Steelers are forfeiting their 2025 second-round pick in return and are signing Metcalf to a brand new, five-year, $150 million contract. Pittsburgh may not know who their next quarterback will be, but they're doing their best to surround him with standout talent. The 27-year-old will presumably slot in as the team's No. 1 wideout and, at worst, the 1A or 1B across from standing No. 1 pass-catcher George Pickens. It's an intriguing turn of events for Pittsburgh, though a necessary move for a team that's ranked in the league's bottom half in points per game since 2021. Metcalf started 2024 hot but fell off after a knee injury coincided with former teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba's breakout. Still, at 27, the Ole Miss product should help bolster Pittsburgh's WR corps.

Sunday, January 5, 10:47 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall followed last week's breakout game with another strong showing in Sunday's 47-24 Week 18 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. The Arizona native caught six of eight targets for 69 yards, including a six-yard touchdown grab on a contested slant pattern from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Pearsall, who started his 49ers career on a terrifying note -- being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt -- had an up-and-down year once he debuted in Week 7. Pearsall produced four fantasy-useful performances in 2024 but seven in which he was held below six half-PPR points. With momentum and the validation of his first-round pedigree this season, Pearsall could be an intriguing late-round fantasy pick in 2025 depending on the health of Brandon Aiyuk's knee, and if Pearsall can move past Jauan Jennings and/or Deebo Samuel Sr. in the 49ers' hierarchy.