In the 2024 NFL Draft, there were several players who are the sons of former San Francisco 49ers greats. The only one who actually ended up with San Francisco was wide receiver Terique Owens, the son of Terrell Owens, but there was another player who seemed destined to end up with the Niners.
Brenden Rice, the son of Jerry Rice, wound up being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has gone on an odyssey since then, and after the Green Bay Packers sneakily scooped him up back in May, he is now on his fifth different NFL team.
Rice has only played in three career games and he has yet to catch a pass or even be targeted. All three of those games came with the Chargers in his rookie season, but they let him go ahead of the 2025 campaign.
He’s bounced around ever since, as the New England Patriots signed him to their practice squad for a week in November of last year before letting him go. Then the Seattle Seahawks swooped in and put him on their practice squad for two weeks before cutting him. The Las Vegas Raiders were his next destination, as he got signed to their practice squad in December, and then got waived back in May.
Now, he’s on the Packers, but it’s hard to see him making the team unless they have some injuries. It will really come down to training camp and the preseason and how he performs there.
The junior Rice clearly has talent, as evidenced by the numbers he put up in college. In his last two seasons at USC, he recorded 1,402 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 84 receptions. Those are solid numbers, and he proved on many occasions he could be a deep threat for quarterback Caleb Williams when they were teammates in 2023.
It’s a bit of a surprise the Chicago Bears haven’t taken a chance on Rice yet because of that USC connection. If things don’t work out with Green Bay, don’t be surprised if the Bears sign him to their practice squad at some point.
One would also think he’s destined to be a Niner at some point. San Francisco seems pretty set at wide receiver right now, but would it surprise anyone if they lose three guys in training camp or the preseason and need an extra man or two at some point this season? Not at all, so it may be a matter of time before the Niners bring another Rice into the organization.
The Packers may have him for now, but the Niners should keep an eye on him and try to snag him if he becomes available to pick up at some point.
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