The San Francisco 49ers are making a change after their youngest wide receiver, Jacob Cowing, got off to a slow start this season. While the change won’t directly affect his role in the offense, Cowing will no longer be the team’s starting punt returner.
On October 2, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that fullback Kyle Juszczyk would take over as the team’s primary punt returner. Shanahan was asked about Juszczyk’s ability to perform under pressure before confirming the switch in a follow-up question.
“I don’t care how good your hands are, getting thrown into an NFL game and catching a punt isn’t easy. Especially when we’re Just telling him all he needs to do is fair catch it. Kyle doesn’t just do that. He’s very confident and wants to use this opportunity to prove himself, break tackles, and go for it… He’ll be starting for the rest of the season,” Shanahan said.
Juszczyk stepped in to return a punt after Cowing suffered a shoulder injury. Rather than simply ensuring a fair catch, the 49ers fullback caught the punt and returned it for 8 yards.
49ers Rookie Muffs Punt in Week 2
Though Cowing’s shoulder injury played a role in the change, his performance at punt returner didn’t help his case. He’s averaging 5.3 yards per return over six punt attempts.
In the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Cowing muffed a punt in his NFL debut. Though nerves were understandable, the team managed to recover the fumble thanks to defensive back Isaac Yiadom jumping on the ball.
After that game, Shanahan stood by Cowing, noting that the 2024 fourth-round pick was still in their future plans and gave him more chances in the following weeks.
“That’s just one muffed punt,” Shanahan said on September 18. “When it comes to catching punts, he’s been as natural a catcher as we’ve seen in eight years here, both in practice and in games. I know that one got away from him, which we can’t afford, but everyone muffs one now and then. Hopefully, that’s the last one.”
Juszczyk Seeing Increased Utilization
In addition to returning punts, Juszczyk has seen an increase in overall involvement this year. Through four games, the 2023 All-Pro has seven receptions for 77 yards. While primarily used as a blocker, his ability to catch and run has been a valuable asset for the 49ers.
Juszczyk is currently on track for 30 catches this season. His highest total with the 49ers came in 2017, his first year with the team, when he caught 33 passes. Over the past two seasons combined, he had just 33 receptions.
He is also averaging 19.25 receiving yards per game, which would put him on pace for 327 receiving yards by season’s end—the highest total in his 12-year career.
