In all honesty, second-year wide receiver Terique Owens was going to have a massive uphill climb to secure a spot on the San Francisco 49ers' 53-man roster.
A developmental player from the get-go, the son of Hall of Fame legend Terrell Owens couldn't originally hang onto a roster spot during his rookie season in 2024 when the Niners signed him as an undrafted free agent. The younger Owens found himself waived with an injury settlement prior to the regular season, only to return to the practice squad later that year.
Amid all the challenges San Francisco ended up facing at wide receiver entering 2025, though, there was a thought the second-year pro could finally take that next-level step and perhaps secure a spot on the depth chart.
Alas, it's not meant to be.
49ers unsurprisingly waive Terique Owens on NFL roster cut-down day
According to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, Owens is finding himself among those who won't make the 49ers' initial 53-man roster, being waived as part of leaguewide roster cuts:
Source: The 49ers waived WR Terique Owens. He is a strong candidate to return to the team's practice squad if he is not claimed off waivers.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 26, 2025
Despite some earlier hype during the offseason, especially in the wake of wide receiver Deebo Samuel's trade to the Washington Commanders and fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk still on the mend from last year's torn ACL and MCL, Owens didn't exactly make headlines for himself.
At least until the Niners' preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers in which the fringe receiver snagged a touchdown reception that reminded fans of his father's legendary stature.
That must have been a cool moment, sure. But it wasn't going to be enough to salvage Owens' roster chances even amid all the uncertainty San Francisco faces at receiver to open up the regular season.
However, there's a moderately good chance the 49ers like what they see in the raw-but-promising 6-foot-3 and 200-pound wideout, potentially highlighting Owens as a prime candidate to be placed on the practice squad for further development, should he clear waivers.
At this point, more time spent on the Niners' B-team squad might do Owens some good.
Heck, perhaps we'll be having a more encouraging conversation about the son of a San Francisco legend a year from now.