The focus in the San Francisco 49ers’ wide receiver group this summer has mostly been on the players who aren’t practicing rather than those who are.
Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been holding out of practice due to a contract issue, and rookie Ricky Pearsall has had trouble staying on the field due to injuries.
These absences have opened up a chance for fourth-round rookie Jacob Cowing, who is eager to take advantage.
After missing part of training camp with a hamstring injury, Cowing excelled in practice last week and continued to impress in game action.
Cowing caught four passes for 51 yards, had a 19-yard run on an end-around, and returned two punts for 19 yards in a game against New Orleans. His performance suggested he might contribute this season.
“It felt good to finally go out there and get my feet wet a little bit,” Cowing said. “Being able to play against another team was fun, and I think it was a good day for everyone.”
Cowing showed good speed and agility with the ball, but his most notable play was a 38-yard reception from Joshua Dobbs. Late in the first half, he beat a cornerback on a pump-and-go route and made an impressive catch along the sideline.
His teammates took notice.
“It was really good to see him get back on the field,” Dobbs said. “He can line up at any position, knows what to do, and his speed and ability with the ball are impressive. Seeing that in the game was great for his confidence.”
Cowing was a strong receiver in college, with 316 catches for 4,477 yards during five seasons at UTEP and Arizona. This performance led the San Francisco 49ers to pick him in the fourth round of the draft in April.
Cowing understood he needed to show his skills at the professional level, but his hamstring injury early in camp made it difficult. The last week of practice was crucial for him to build confidence and gain the trust of his teammates and coaches.
“I think that I just got a lot more confident within my abilities, within the playbook,” he said. “Being able to study the playbook the way that I did, for certain things to kind of stick to me into this game.
Allowing me to go there, play fast and play my game a little bit. Playing, a little bit relaxed, but, all in all just going out there playing confident, and just playing my style of football.”
While Cowing’s offensive big-play ability stood out on Sunday, his performance as a punt returner might be key to securing a regular spot when the season begins on Sept. 9.
San Francisco is looking for a new returner after Ray-Ray McCloud left in free agency this offseason. They brought back veteran Trent Taylor for his reliability in catching punts but would likely prefer someone with Cowing’s game-breaking speed.
“We drafted him hoping that he could have the potential to do it,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “(This) was really the first time that we were able to get him out there and he had a week of being healthy, so he’s definitely got a chance to, but (it) was a step in the right direction.”
Cowing’s rise is especially important because of the uncertainty around Aiyuk and Pearsall. Aiyuk missed the whole offseason program and hasn’t practiced all summer as he looks for an extension or a trade to get a big contract.
Aiyuk played a crucial role in San Francisco’s offense last season, building a strong connection with quarterback Brock Purdy. He had 75 catches for a career-high 1,375 yards and seven touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro honors.
The 49ers hoped to have backup for Aiyuk by drafting Pearsall 31st overall in April. However, Pearsall was hindered by a shoulder injury during the offseason, started training camp on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, and then re-injured his shoulder over two weeks ago, so he hasn’t practiced since.
