Two sons of Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees were released from their respective teams as NFL roster cuts reduced more than 1,000 players ahead of the 2025 season. Wide receivers Terique Owens and Brenden Rice, whose fathers are Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice, both faced setbacks as teams finalized their lineups.
Terique Owens took an unconventional path to professional football, starting his playing career in high school before moving through Contra Costa College, Florida Atlantic University, and Missouri State. During his senior year at Missouri State, he recorded 28 receptions for 528 yards and four touchdowns. Despite going undrafted in the April 2024 NFL Draft, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent.
His father encouraged him throughout the process. According to advice given by Terrell Owens: “he doesn’t have to be me; just be himself.”
However, a hand fracture early in training camp resulted in Terique Owens being waived with an injury designation in August 2024. The team brought him back onto the practice squad later that year. Recently recovered from injury, he scored a notable 22-yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in a preseason game—a moment that drew comparisons to his father’s on-field performances.
Despite this effort, the San Francisco 49ers’ depth at wide receiver has been strained due to injuries among other players such as Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk. Ultimately, Owens was again waived as roster reductions concluded.
Brenden Rice also experienced disappointment after being released by the Los Angeles Chargers. Selected No. 225 overall in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Rice joined the league following a college career that included time at Colorado before transferring to USC under head coach Lincoln Riley. In his final collegiate season with USC, he achieved 45 catches for 791 yards and scored twelve touchdowns.
Rice played three games during his rookie campaign—mostly on special teams—but did not secure significant offensive snaps. Despite potential demonstrated during preseason practices and games, he was unable to earn a spot on the Chargers’ active roster ahead of the new season.
Both players may still have opportunities ahead if added to their respective teams’ practice squads or picked up elsewhere as organizations manage ongoing player health issues and needs at wide receiver positions.
