Could the 49ers legend's son help the team replace Brandon Aiyuk?

Replacing wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk quickly shot up the San Francisco 49ers' priority list when the 2023 All-Pro was sidelined in Week 7 with a season-ending knee injury.

Aiyuk's injury, which occurred just over two weeks before the NFL trade deadline on November 5, could prompt San Francisco to acquire a WR on the trade market. There are a handful of options that make sense if this is the route you want to take.

If they don't go that route, there's an interesting name in the building that could make the roster: undrafted rookie WR Terique Owens, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and 49ers legend Terrell Owens.

While the trade route seems to be the most logical route if the team is looking for a direct replacement for Aiyuk, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters in a conference call on Monday that the team will explore the trade market without putting all its eggs in one basket.

“Well, you have to look at everything,” Shanahan said of Aiyuk’s injury. “We’re still trying to investigate everything. Obviously, with the other issues that came up yesterday, you still want to deal with everything, but it's about what options are there, with things that we can implement that won't completely harm us, that will and won't help us now That won't hurt us in the future. A lot of decisions come into play. So we look at everything, but often that just means living in hope.”

If a trade doesn't happen, the 49ers will likely simply push Jauan Jennings into a more prominent role and fill the WR3 snaps with rookies Jauan Jennings and Jacob Cowing and veterans Chris Conley and Ronnie Bell.

They may want to keep another WR on the roster for depth reasons, even if they don't need to replace Aiyuk in an instant. And this is where Owens emerges as an internal option. Shanahan said without a trade they would rely on who they have in the building.

“Those answers don’t always exist,” Shanahan said. “You have to be willing to make the people in your building better and deal with what you have in your building. And if you ever find something that makes sense, we will never hesitate to use it, but it is not always as available as you hope.”

Owens is one of two wide receivers on the practice squad, along with veteran and former 49ers fifth-round pick Trent Taylor. Taylor has been primarily a punt returner in recent seasons, which could open the door for Owens to step in and contribute to more special teams units.

There is no guarantee that Taylor or Owens will be promoted from the practice squad. When healthy, San Francisco still operates with six receivers who play roles on offense and special teams. The likelihood of a practice squad receiver being more than a special teams member is slim to none.

However, given the injuries to Conley, Jennings and Samuel in Week 8, there is a possibility that Owens will be left off the practice squad when the 49ers host the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.