The San Francisco 49ers have traded wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. Even though the veteran wide receiver declined last season, he will still leave a void on offense.
That void could be partially filled by Terique Owens, the son of Hall of Famer Terrell Owens.
This comes via reporter Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard who recently said the following on his podcast, “I’ve heard they don’t think they need to get a better wide receiver. I’ve heard they like the guys they got. I’ll tell you the name I’ve heard, Terique Owens. They think he was good in practice squad.”
If it is true the Niners do not think they need to get a big-name replacement for Samuel, turning to a guy who was on the practice squad for all of 2024 to pick up some of the slack after Deebo’s departure would be a bold move.
Owens played for three seasons at Missouri State and racked up 36 receptions for 765 yards and four touchdowns in his collegiate career with most of those stats coming in his final year with the team.
He went undrafted in last year’s NFL Draft, but San Francisco signed him as an undrafted free agent. He spent the entire season on the team’s practice squad, although he did turn heads with some impressive catches in training camp, which made it seem like he could have a legitimate shot at the 53-man roster.
Perhaps there was not enough room for him last season, but with Samuel’s departure, there may be an opportunity for previously overlooked players to make a name for themselves.
Still, it is hard to see Owens truly being a huge impact player in 2025 unless he improves by leaps and bounds. As things currently stand, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, and Brandon Aiyuk (when he is healthy) are all ahead of him on the depth chart. It is possible Owens could see more action while Aiyuk is sidelined with his injury, so maybe he can make up for a little bit of what San Francisco is losing with Samuel heading to Washington.
Many Niners fans would be more comfortable with the team going out and signing a proven free-agent wide receiver rather than relying on unproven talent, but if San Francisco doesn’t want to spend big on a premier wideout, then it may have to turn to an option like Owens.
His father was great while wearing red and gold, so if the younger Owens can rekindle some of that magic, perhaps he could help the Niners as they try to figure out how they can replace their former star wide receiver.
