Jacob Cowing makes 49ers roster case with dazzling punt return vs. Chargers

Perhaps the best moment of the San Francisco 49ers' preseason so far came at the hands of Jacob Cowing on Thursday night, who returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown in the team's 41-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Cowing came into the 2026 season after missing all of 2025 due to tearing his hamstring a whopping four times. His spot on the team was in question at firts due to a wide receiver room that includes Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk, Jordan Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling. But with the 49ers in need of a reliable punt returner, Cowing may have bumped someone off the roster to make room for himself after breaking loose on a dazzling return that showed he might be the best answer the team can provide at the position.

That moment was a long time coming for Cowing, who returned 24 punts with the 49ers as a rookie in 2024.

"I feel like I was in a dream for a second, honestly," Cowing said after the game. "Just hearing the crowd go crazy and just seeing my teammates running side by side with me, seeing how happy they were, I'm like, 'Ain't no way this just happened right now.'"

Cowing was greeted with jubilant celebration after his touchdown, which included a penalty on Samuel for leaving the sidelines in celebration. Nobody seemed to mind, however, given what the moment meant to Cowing.

"Amazing," Cowing said of the celebration. "It was definitely a long time coming, something I've thought about for over a year now, ever since last year."

Cowing detailed his injury struggle and recovery while speaking with reporters on Thursday night. After his fourth hamstring tear, Cowing and team doctors decided to shut things down and take it easy in order for the injury to heal. Cowing worked on the injury throughout the offseason and now finds himself in a much healthier place.

"I stayed back in the Bay Area," Cowing said. "I just got my routine together. I trusted the training staff and the strength coaches, and we put together a plan for me that is obviously working and keeping me healthy. So I appreciate them putting the time and effort into me and helping me execute being healthy."

Times were tough for Cowing over the past year, but his family helped him through the battle, in particular his mother.

"My mom was a big one," Cowing said. "She definitely helped me get through a lot. Shout out to my mom. She was my rock, and I love and appreciate everything she was doing for me at the time."

Did Cowing's return against the Chargers officially win him the punt return job? No, but it might put him in the driver's seat ("I like that he's making it easier," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game). Cowing's night got off to a rough start after losing his first attempt in the lights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, but he obviously nailed his second chance, which made a big impression.

"I thought it was huge," Shanahan said. "I know he lost the first one in the light, which was a big disappointment just because it was about a 30-yard change in field position and we ended up backed up because of it. So I got a little frustrated there, but he lost it and he definitely redeemed himself on the next one. Getting that 80-yarder is a big-time play."

Cowing seems to feel as Shanahan does, suggesting Thursday that he doesn't feel he's won the job just yet. But he certainly heads into the rest of the preseason with momentum.

"At the end of the day, we're still in training camp," Cowing said. "There's still guys that are battling. Me personally, I'm going to come in and battle each every day and try and make that job solidified by me. At the same time, we also have guys who are very good at punt returning as well. So it's very exciting to see what the rest of training camp has."

Even if Cowing doesn't make the cut, his touchdown against the Chargers showed he is back at full strength and ready to make an impact wherever he may wind up. Chances are better than ever it will be with the 49ers, who may find it hard to say no to keeping him around.

"He's always shown us his talent since he's been here," Shanahan said. "He's been able to string together a couple healthy weeks, and that was a huge play he had today."