Who Should I Start? George Pickens or Ricky Pearsall

Tuesday, March 4, 6:07 PM

One of the Pittsburgh Steelers' top priorities this offseason will be adding a wide receiver, and Penn Live's Nick Farabaugh writes that a new receiver is expected to complement George Pickens instead of replacing him. Sources have talked down the idea of the Steelers trading Pickens despite his maturity issues in 2024. Pittsburgh will exhaust every avenue once again as they look to add a receiver, with sources pointing to the trade market as a likely avenue. However, the team doesn't play to make any moves at the position until they know who will be starting at quarterback. If the Denver Broncos' talks on a long-term extension with receiver Courtland Sutton break down, the Steelers will be aggressive in trying to trade for him. Farabaugh also expects the Steelers to circle back to Darius Slayton and Christian Kirk, two wideouts that the team was interested in at last year's trade deadline.

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.