49ers Make Roster Decision on Legendary Wide Receiver’s Son

The San Francisco 49ers have set their 53-man roster for the start of the 2025 campaign. After getting decimated by injuries last year, the team battled a slew of ailments once again during training camp, but with several of their star players who missed time last season being healthy again, there’s reason for optimism as Week 1 approaches.

On Tuesday, the Niners finalized their roster cuts, which resulted in some tough decisions being made by the team. One of them involved the son of franchise legend Terrell Owens, Terique Owens. The undrafted rookie wide receiver put together some strong tape during training camp and preseason action, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a spot on the team’s roster.

49ers Release Wide Receiver Terique Owens

Terique is trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, Terrell, a Hall of Fame wide receiver who is widely considered one of the greatest players at his position in the history of the league. Terrell broke into the league as a third-round pick with the Niners in 1996, and he gradually turned himself into one of the most dominant players in the game. By the time he retired, Owens was a six-time Pro Bowler who also earned five All-Pro First Team selections.

His son Terique did not enter the NFL with much fanfare, as the Niners scooped him up after he didn’t get selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite facing long odds to make the roster, Terique drew attention for his strong play during training camp, and he ended the preseason on a high note by hauling in a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Chargers.

With several wide receivers, such as Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Demarcus Robinson, potentially missing time to start the season, that opened the door for Terique to potentially earn a spot on the roster. However, he ultimately did not make the cut, as San Francisco opted to release him on Tuesday as part of its roster cuts.

“The 49ers are waiving WR Terique Owens, source says,” Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported. “Owens caught his first TD in the preseason finale. A practice-squad spot is a possibility for the son of Terrell Owens if he clears waivers.”

Could Terique Owens Return to the 49ers as a Practice Squad Player?

Getting released is always tough, but Owens is in a decent spot as he hits waivers. As noted above, it wasn’t like he struggled during training camp, so if a team has an opening at wide receiver that they want filled, they could claim Owens and take a flier on him. However, the more likely scenario would see Owens clear waivers and return to the 49ers on their practice squad.

San Francisco could certainly be open to a reunion with Owens if they have space on their practice squad. While he’s already set to turn 26 years old in September, Owens has upside, and with several other wide receivers dealing with injuries, it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra layer of insurance available on their practice squad. With that in mind, it may not be long before Owens is back with San Fran, even though he just got released.