Who Should I Start? Tutu Atwell or Ricky Pearsall

Sunday, January 25, 5:22 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship. Atwell is a healthy scratch for the second game in a row after he did not appear on the Rams' injury report all week long. The 26-year-old had an underwhelming regular season and also dealt with a six-week injury absence. He finished the year with six catches, 192 yards, and one touchdown, and he was not targeted in the Rams' Wild Card win over Carolina. In his absence last week, Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield both stepped up with two catches apiece. With Atwell inactive again, we expect Whittington and Mumpfield to continue to handle increased involvement behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

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.