Is Jacob Cowing primed for a second-year breakout? Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes so.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently answered a mailbag question about whether the San Francisco 49ers should sign a veteran wide receiver with the train of thought that Brandon Aiyuk wouldn’t be fully recovered from his torn ACL.
Breer believes the 49ers are equipped to handle Aiyuk’s injury:
They’re well-prepared for the possibility that Brandon Aiyuk isn’t full-go when the season starts. Ricky Pearsall will certainly get a shot to have a bigger role in the offense, Jauan Jennings is a reliable complementary piece, and from there they have a promising young guy in Jacob Cowing, plus DeMarcus Robinson coming over from the Rams and some depth behind George Kittle for their two tight-end looks.
There’s plenty to work with there, especially if Christian McCaffrey can find his stride.
The 49ers re-signing Kyle Juszczyk, who spent 191 snaps in 2024 as an inline tight end, another 96 in the slot, and an additional 50 out wide, was another way for them to offset the loss of Aiyuk.
We’ve seen an uptick in 12 personnel with the 49ers during the previous two seasons, even with Aiyuk healthy. In fact, no quarterback has thrown more play-action passes from under center in the previous two seasons than Brock Purdy:
clips of Brock Purdy operating under center dropback passes with no play action.
talked a bit about this on the latest Football 301, I think we’ll see an uptick in these types of concepts – something that used to be a football staple – league-wide. pic.twitter.com/GojmO6FBZh
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) May 29, 2025
He had two more than Jared Goff last season despite missing two games. In 2023, Purdy had nine more attempts than Jared Goff and Jordan Love. As you can see from the clip above, you only need two wideouts on the field.
Pearsall and Jennings are expected to do the heavy lifting, with Robinson providing the veteran presence, but Breer’s mention of Cowing should not go unnoticed. If last year was Cowing’s “redshirt” year to learn the ins and outs of the 49ers offense and how he can win at his size in the NFL, there’s no reason he can’t give the Niners more than Richie James, Ray-Ray McCloud, or fill in the blank for whatever gadget type of player Kyle Shanahan found a way to get production out of.
The difference with Cowing, at least in college, was his awareness. He knew where to go. He knew how to get open in the soft spots of the zone. He was sure-handed and reliable. It doesn’t hurt that he ran a 4.3, which is why it’s difficult to imagine him not having a role on an offense that once asked River Cracraft to run routes.
Drafting Jordan Watkins might be for next year if Jennings walks in free agency. He’ll likely be subjected to what Cowing dealt with last season, opening the door for Cowing to play a bigger role during Aiyuk’s absence.