San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing was absent from practice on Wednesday, raising questions about his status. Head coach Kyle Shanahan, speaking on Bay Area radio station KNBR, confirmed that Cowing is dealing with the same lingering hamstring injury that has sidelined him earlier in camp.
"Yes, it is [the hamstring]," Shanahan said. "He felt it yesterday, so we had to hold him back today."
Cowing, entering his second NFL season, is fighting for a roster spot. But the setback has caused him to miss valuable practice time ahead of the NFL's August 26 roster cutdown deadline, complicating the situation.
49ers continue to battle widespread injuries
Fans have grown frustrated by the steady stream of 49ers injury updates throughout training camp. Shanahan sympathized, acknowledging that the injury toll has been particularly difficult for the coaching staff.
"It's pretty tough," Shanahan admitted. "If it's a challenge for the fans, I promise you guys, it's a bigger challenge for me, just dealing with all this. We haven't had the best luck this year—down probably more guys than we've had. It's a tough situation. You've got to keep practicing because we've got to improve, we've got to be ready for the season, we've got to continue to get better for the season, but it does make that a huge challenge with the number of guys we've had down."
Shanahan on the WR room's outlook
The wide receiver group has been hit especially hard by injuries. Brandon Aiyuk is working his way back from ACL and MCL injuries, Jauan Jennings is dealing with a calf injury, and Jordan Watkins is dealing with a high-ankle sprain.
When asked whether this year's wide receiver group—if healthy—could rank among the strongest he's had in San Francisco, Shanahan was quick to temper expectations.
"We're far away from that right now," Shanahan said. "I mean, we've got to get all those guys that you mentioned back. B.A. is coming off a bad injury. I know he'll be good. We just don't know when that will be. Jauan, obviously, we haven't had throughout camp with his calf injury. [Demarcus Robinson], we're not going to have in the first three weeks."
Shanahan confirmed that the NFL suspended Robinson three games for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
"Cowing, we've had for two practices with his hamstring problems," Shanahan continued. "[Ricky Pearsall is] having a hell of a camp. Got a little late start, but he's had a really good last three weeks he's put together. I don't look at it that way. I look at it as, I hope we can get these guys back and how we're going to deal with it in the meantime."
With injuries piling up and roster cuts looming, the 49ers' wide receiver depth remains one of the team's biggest question marks heading into the 2025 season.