Every new NFL season brings fresh hope that teams will have a new breakout player. For the San Francisco 49ers, that hope is especially pronounced since they have an aging group of veteran players who are still playing well, but won’t be around forever.
That’s why it is so important the Niners eventually get some of their younger players to break through and be regular contributors.
Let’s take a look at three candidates for a breakout season who are easy to overlook.
Jordan James
The Niners were high enough on running back Jordan James that they drafted him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of Oregon. He only received snaps in garbage time of the playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks last season, but San Francisco is clearly high on him.
Obviously, one hopes he doesn’t have a breakout year in 2026 because Christian McCaffrey goes down, and James ends up having to fill in for him. The ideal situation is James proves himself to be a complementary back who can spell McCaffrey and can gain the trust of head coach Kyle Shanahan.
A two-headed running back situation is probably a bit too optimistic, but if James can at least take some of the weight off CMC’s shoulders, that would be a huge development.
Jacob Cowing
Unfortunately, wide receiver Jacob Cowing missed all of the 2025 season due to injury. He didn’t do a lot as a rookie in 2024, but his speed makes him an interesting potential asset, especially for an offense looking to make more explosive plays in 2026.
He may be limited to punt and kick return duties if the names ahead of him on the depth chart stay healthy, but if Cowing can impress in training camp and the preseason, then perhaps Shanahan will dial up a deep shot or two for him in the regular season.
Marques Sigle
It can be easy to forget how safety Marques Sigle was quite impressive early on as a rookie last season. He earned a starting job to begin the regular season and looked pretty good initially but was eventually supplanted by Ji’Ayir Brown.
In year two, Sigle he has a big chance to take a step forward, especially since the safety position is so unsettled right now.
It would not be a shock if the second-year pro ended up playing a big role in 2026.
These overlooked Niners are easy to overlook and forget about at times, but they have a great opportunity to step up and get themselves more playing time beginning this upcoming season.
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