Who Should I Start? Troy Franklin or Ricky Pearsall

Sunday, January 12, 4:19 PM

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin caught two of his three targets for 54 yards and a touchdown during their playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Franklin made an impact early, bringing in a 43-yard TD pass from his college teammate Bo Nix to give Denver an early lead on their first offensive drive of the game. Franklin's other reception went for 11 yards in the fourth quarter. Franklin's 54 yards and three targets were both second-most among Denver pass catchers, only less than Courtland Sutton. Throughout the regular season, Franklin struggled to find consistent opportunities as he tallied just 263 yards and two scores on 28 receptions. Franklin will look to earn a larger role in the Denver offense in his sophomore campaign.

Thursday, May 29, 6:04 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury and likely won't return to practice until training camp at the end of July, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. It doesn't sound like it's a serious injury for Pearsall, the but Niners won't take any chances with last year's first-rounder after he also dealt with hammy issues going into his rookie season in 2024. The 24-year-old pass-catcher then suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and didn't make his NFL debut until Week 7. He's expected to have a key role in the offense in his sophomore season with Deebo Samuel Sr. no longer in town and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, but Pearsall is going to lose valuable reps this offseason to gain chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy. Pearsall could still be ready for Week 1, but this news doesn't do anything to dispel the notion that Pearsall is injury-prone.