The San Francisco 49ers still have plenty of serious question marks at wide receiver in the wake of several injuries.
Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as if second-year pro Terique Owens is going to be one of the answers.
One would figure Owens would get an increased chance to display his talents amid the injury pileup, especially with Brandon Aiyuk still on the physically unable-to-perform list and others like Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Jacob Cowing all missing varying amounts of time.
Instead, other receivers like Russell Gage and undrafted rookie Isaiah Neyor have emerged as key standouts who've used the extra reps to increase their once-remote chances to make the 53-man roster.
From camp report to camp report, the latter two seem to be the ones standing out regularly.
Owens, meanwhile, has been almost completely silent -- not a good thing during camp.
Terique Owens' disappearing act during camp makes 49ers' decision easy
Two things stand out that make what seems an inevitable Owens cut a disappointment.
First, obviously, the 2024 undrafted free agent is the son of Niners legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens, and it would have been exceptional to see the younger Owens carve out some sort of niche role on the roster.
Second, Terique Owens managed to generate a modest amount of hype during the offseason before camp, suggesting San Francisco was considering giving him an increased role after the Missouri State alumnus bounced off the 90-man roster because of injury a year ago but then returned to the practice squad later that October.
Unfortunately, if Owens wasn't the son of a Hall of Famer, he'd be about as obscure as could be at this point, and camp isn't doing him any favors. Plus, whatever offseason hype was generated seems to have evaporated completely.
There's a chance Owens winds up being waived again prior to the regular season as the 49ers continue their attempts to patchwork together a respectable wide receiver room.
If that happens, it won't be that surprising at all.
