So far this season, the San Francisco 49ers have utilized Jacob Cowing as their primary punt returner. He earned the job in the preseason thanks in large part to a return for a touchdown, but he had his first major gaffe of the regular season when he muffed a punt against the Seattle Seahawks.
It was a poor decision by Cowing, as the ball was punted fairly short and he had to come up to get it. In reality, he should've called for a fair catch, but he attempted to return it and got blown up almost immediately. He never really had control of the ball, as it seemed like he realized too late that he had made a mistake.
He hasn’t done well even when he’s held onto the ball. He’s averaged just about four yards per return, so if he continues to struggle, he could end up being replaced by someone on the practice squad. Thankfully for the 49ers, there are options.
Xavier Smith
The Niners just scooped up Xavier Smith after the Los Angeles Rams cut him loose. Smith has had trouble hanging onto the football at times, which is why the Rams got rid of him, but in his career he’s averaged over nine yards per punt return.
He could be an interesting option, and how perfect would it be if he became a great returner with San Francisco after being discarded by their division rivals?
Will Pauling
An undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame, Pauling didn’t come into the NFL with a ton of return experience, but he fits the mold of a returner as a smaller receiver with speed. Having a young player return punts brings back scary memories of Kyle Williams, so it would be a risk putting Pauling out there in a big game, but if he shows promise, maybe he can earn that role.
Wesley Grimes
Another rookie undrafted free agent is Wesley Grimes. He doesn’t have a ton of return experience either, but he may end up on the roster at some point with all of the injuries and could be forced into a returner role. Every 49ers wide receiver has to be ready to play with how this season has gone.
There’s also a chance the Niners turn to a veteran like Brandin Cooks to return kicks. No one would expect him to take one to the house, but he was a returner earlier in his career, and he could at least be expected to hold onto the football. Jordan Watkins could be another option as well.
Maybe Cowing’s muff was just a blip, and he will be fine from now on, but the Niners have had enough special teams issues over the years to be justifiably afraid that they may have to make a change in the future.
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