The 49ers placed Cowing (hamstring) on injured reserve Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Cowing injured his hamstring in late July, which has sidelined him for the majority of training camp and all three of the 49ers' preseason games. His move to the IR means the 2024 fourth-rounder will be required to miss at least next four games, making Week 5 against the Rams on Thursday, Oct. 2 the earliest he can make his 2025 debut. The 49ers are dealing with several injuries at wide receiver, which opens the door for Junior Bergen, Robbie Chosen and Malik Turner to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of Week 1 against the Seahawks.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said this weekend that Cowing (hamstring) could be sidelined for six weeks, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

EDGE Analysis

Cowing missed time last summer with a hamstring injury, and he also missed a sizable chunk of this year's training camp with a pulled hamstring. It's becoming a chronic issue for the second-year wide receiver after he was unable to log any preseason playing time this summer. There's a decent chance he begins the 2025 campaign on injured reserve, which would cost Cowing at least the first four games of the regular season.

Cowing isn't practicing Wednesday after suffering a lower-body injury Tuesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

EDGE Analysis

Cowing injured his hamstring during the first practice of training camp and was out for nearly three weeks before easing back into action last Tuesday. He's now absent again, with no word so far on whether it's an aggravation of the hamstring pull or a new injury altogether. Either way, the 49ers are hurting for wideout depth, with Cowing, Jauan Jennings (calf), Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jordan Watkins (ankle) all absent from practice. Demarcus Robinson is healthy but may soon be suspended, perhaps opening the door for Russell Gage or one of the other depth players to get a lot of snaps early in the season. Cowing is also a candidate if he's able to make it back before Jennings and Aiyuk.

Cowing (hamstring) returned to a limited practice Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Cowing injured his hamstring on the first day of training camp, kicking off a stretch of poor injury luck for San Francisco's wideouts this summer. Ricky Pearsall returned from his own hamstring injury in late July, but Jauan Jennings (calf) and Jordan Watkins (ankle) have since been sidelined, and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) remains on the PUP list. There's also a strong chance Demarcus Robinson will be suspended for the first few games after pleading no contest in July to a DUI charge, potentially opening the door for Cowing to have a September role on offense even if he's ultimately just fifth or sixth on the depth chart. A 2024 fourth-round pick, Cowing caught just four passes on 106 offensive snaps last season, getting most of his touches on punt returns (28 for 245). He won't necessarily reprise that role on special teams, after the 49ers drafted return specialist Junior Bergen in the seventh round this spring.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said Sunday that he's hopeful Cowing (hamstring) will be back by the week of Aug. 11 for joint practices with the Raiders, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

This timeline likely indicates that Cowing will miss the 49ers' first preseason game Aug. 9 as he deals with a pulled hamstring, which he suffered during the first practice of training camp Wednesday. The 2024 fourth-round pick is coming off a rookie season in which he logged just five touches on offense over 15 regular-season appearances. Instead, his primary contributions came as a punt returner. San Francisco is dealing with a rash of injuries at wide receiver, as Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is still on PUP while recovering from a torn ACL, and Jauan Jennings also left practice Sunday with a calf injury. Once he gets back on the field in training camp, Cowing could have a chance to push for a bigger role ahead of Demarcus Robinson and Equanimeous St. Brown -- two veterans who the team added as free agents.

Cowing pulled his hamstring Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

He was the subject of glowing reports during the offseason program, only to get injured during the first practice of training camp. A 2024 fourth-round pick, Cowing got just five touches on 106 offensive snaps last season, with his main role being on punt returns (28 for 245 yards). This could've been a good chance to get some reps with Brock Purdy, as the 49ers don't have Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) available for the start of camp.

Cowing finished his rookie season with four receptions for 80 yards and one rushing attempt for seven yards across 15 active games.

EDGE Analysis

Cowing was primarily used on special teams in 2024, producing 277 return yards. The Arizona product flashed some big-play ability as a receiver, averaging 20.0 yards per reception in limited action. Cowing could see more work as a sophomore in 2025, but it would likely take an injury or two in order to open up enough playing time to warrant fantasy consideration next year.

Cowing returned five punts for 51 yards and went without a target while playing four of the 49ers' 54 snaps on offense in Thursday's 12-6 loss to the Rams.

EDGE Analysis

The rookie fourth-round pick out of Arizona has been serving as the 49ers' top punt returner throughout the season, but he's struggled to find a role on offense even while Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have missed multiple games due to injuries. Though Aiyuk is out for the season, Jennings and Pearsall have been healthy for several weeks now and, along with Deebo Samuel, are continuing to work comfortably ahead of Cowing at receiver. Cowing has recorded just two catches for 50 yards on four targets while playing just 39 snaps on offense all season.

Cowing (concussion) does not have an injury designation for Sunday's Week 13 battle versus the Bills, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Cowing suffered a concussion Week 11 against Seattle and didn't suit up this past Sunday versus Green Bay. However, he's cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and will be able to play against Buffalo. Cowing has been held without a catch in all but one of his nine games so far this season, and his primary contributions have come as a punt returner.

Cowing (concussion) was listed as a full practice participant on Wednesday's injury report, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Cowing suffered a concussion during the 49ers' Week 11 loss to the Seahawks, and he was unable to pass the league's five-step protocols in time for Week 12 against the Packers. His ability to practice in full Wednesday is a sign that he's progressing through the protocols, though he'll need to be cleared by an independent neurologist in order to play against the Bills on Sunday.