Sports

Mike Evans Says This 49ers Player Has A Lot of ‘Juice'

Anytime a player on the San Francisco 49ers can garner praise and compliments from Mike Evans, it means they're performing well in practice.

Evans isn't the kind of player that throws out words just for the sake of it. There is one 49ers player who Evans said has a lot of "juice" in his game. That player is wide receiver Jacob Cowing.

"A lot of juice," Evans said during Week 2 of OTAs. "He has a lot of juice. He can add a lot to this team. The speed down the field, the quickness. I've been here for a few weeks, and he's made a lot of plays so far."

Jacob Cowing stands out to Mike Evans

 Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Evans hasn't practiced that much with Cowing, so there's only so much he can say about him. That's why he only had a couple of sentences to comment on Cowing when he was asked.

Still, the fact that Evans has seen enough to praise Cowing in that way is noteworthy. For Cowing, he should feel honored that Evans said that.

It should motivate him to continue what he's doing from OTAs into training camp. That is where Cowing where really standout to Evans, and ideally to Kyle Shanahan.

While it's nice that Cowing is doing well in OTAs, it's been the same story with him since he was drafted. OTAs don't matter at all with him.

What matters is how he performs in training camp and the preseason. He hasn't managed to put it all together. That's mainly been due to the injuries he's sustained every year.

 Oct 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) reacts after making a catch for a first down against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) reacts after making a catch for a first down against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Cowing is an injury-prone player at this point. He's unreliable. As soon as he strings together a few impressive practices, he gets hurt.

It wouldn't be surprising if the same thing happens this year. That's why the 49ers added a few receivers this offseason in Evans, Christian Kirk, and De'Zhaun Stribling.

They're out on Cowing. Unless he can have a superb training camp and preseason, he's either going to be buried on the depth chart or be cut.

I think there's a good chance Cowing gets cut, unless the 49ers prefer his youth over a veteran like Demarcus Robinson. But Shanahan tends to side with the experienced player.

And since Cowing has barely any experience, it's almost impossible for Shanahan to trust him. Cowing will need to continue to catch Evans' eye.

If he's catching Evans' eye, he's certainly catching Shanahan's.


Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz to interact with him on the 49ers and more.



This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as Mike Evans Says This 49ers Player Has A Lot of ‘Juice'.

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