Who Should I Start? Kyren Williams or Ricky Pearsall

Saturday, January 24, 10:53 AM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams has been one of his team's offensive stars so far this postseason, recording 192 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on 40 touches across two games. The Rams split backfield work fairly evenly between Williams and second-year back Blake Corum down the stretch of the regular season. However, the team has leaned more heavily on Williams in the playoffs, with Corum earning just six touches to Williams' 25 in the NFC Divisional Round. On paper, Williams has an extremely difficult matchup in the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle finished the regular season ranked first among NFL defenses in yards per carry allowed (3.7) and second in rushing touchdowns allowed (nine). On the bright side, Williams had some success against the Seahawks in the regular season, totaling 181 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 39 touches across two matchups. He may not have his most efficient game in a tough matchup, but Williams should see a heavy workload in the NFC Championship Game.

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.