FRISCO - The San Francisco 49ers parted ways with receiver Deebo Samuel and may be on shaky ground with Brandon Aiyuk. So as the Brock Purdy contract extension looms, San Francisco is a team in transition.
That means roster openings ... and a chance for the son of a controversial legend.
San Francisco must find young, cheap talent to contribute at every level of the roster. It’s a task that requires winning the draft and the free agency that follows, as well as finding value on the margins.
Terique Owens, the son of Terrell Owens, is receiving praise at rookie camp as he enters his second NFL season.
“Owens spent most of the 2024 season on the practice squad and therefore was familiar with, and prepared for, [receivers coach Leonard] Hankerson’s routine,” Matt Barrows wrote for The Athletic. “Because of that, he was the tone-setter in Friday’s practice, leading the receivers through the drills.
Owens’ delayed introduction to football is ironic, given his roots, but it lends itself to a longer developmental runway to tap into.
It’s not like he’s without tools. The Missouri State product ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at 6-1 and 199 pounds, and his jumps were elite, suggesting he has big-time athleticism. In his final collegiate season, 528 yards and four scores on just 28 catches for an incredible 18.9 yards per catch.
And of course he has pedigree as the son of T.O., who started with the Niners and has a famous three-year stint in Dallas from 2006 through 2008, part of the five-time All-Pro's run to the 2000's NFL All-Decade Team.
“Owens is firmly in the ‘players to watch’ category this offseason,” Barrows wrote. “Though he’s the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens, he got a late start with football and the 49ers were betting on his upside when they signed him a year ago. He’ll have the opportunity to prove himself this year.”
There was only one T.O. But young Owens will look to combine his athleticism with his one year of NFL experience to follow in his father’s footsteps and play on Sundays ... with a lot of eyeballs from Dallas to The Bay keeping track.