The 49ers are 6-0, and a big reason why is the wave of help coming from players beyond the stars. Rookies and younger players have stepped in and given San Francisco real production, which has been a major part of the team’s strong start.
But even in the middle of that success, there have been a couple of trouble spots that nearly turned wins into headaches. Wide receiver Jacob Cowing and kicker Eddy Pineiro have both made life harder than it needed to be in the last two games, and Kyle Shanahan is still betting they can straighten things out.
Cowing’s issues have shown up in punt returns. Against the Seattle Seahawks, he fumbled after choosing to field a punt instead of making the safer fair catch.
That mistake handed Seattle favorable field position, and the Seahawks eventually turned it into points. Shanahan effectively saw seven points go the other way because of the error.
The problems didn’t stop there. In the win over the Washington Commanders, Cowing fielded two punts inside the 49ers’ own five-yard line when letting them go would have been the obvious move. That makes two straight games with damaging plays in the return game, and it has put him in a rough spot as both a returner and a receiver.
Still, Shanahan isn’t closing the door on him.
“I know Jake's had some mistakes. He's got to be better at it, but I also have confidence he will get better at it too,” Shanahan said.
If that improvement doesn’t come, San Francisco will have to move on. At this point, Cowing’s miscues have the potential to cost the 49ers a game.
Pineiro has created a different kind of concern. The game against Washington was tight only because he had already missed an extra point earlier, and that has been a recurring issue this season. The miss only added to the sense that he has lost something from last year’s form, and Shanahan didn’t offer much embellishment when asked about it.
“Not much to discuss. I can make stuff up, but he knows he's got to make kicks, and we all do. I'm not going to try to teach him how to do that,” Shanahan said.
That’s the blunt reality for Pineiro. He has to start converting kicks, and if the struggles continue, the 49ers will likely look for another option.
In Other News...
49ers May Have Found A Possible McCaffrey Successor To Watch
Makhi Hughes is the kind of running back the 49ers have to keep on the radar as they think beyond Christian McCaffrey. Now at Houston after stops at Oregon and Tulane, Hughes has the build and style that tend to fit San Franciscos offense, with a strong frame, good contact balance and the kind of one-cut burst that can translate well in Kyle Shanahans system.
The 2026 season has only sharpened the case for him as a future draft name worth tracking, especially if the 49ers are looking for a possible late-round answer at the position in 2027. Hughes path has already included a move away from Oregon, and his current production has put him back into the kind of conversation that keeps scouts watching closely as the next class starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Raheem Morris Gives 49ers Falcons Matchup Extra Intrigue
Raheem Morriss trip back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium adds a little extra texture to a 49ers-Falcons matchup that already carries some familiar NFL weight. Now San Franciscos defensive coordinator, Morris spent time as Atlantas head coach and is back in the building for the first time since the Falcons moved on from him in January, giving this game a personal layer even before the opening kickoff.
Morris had praise for Michael Penix Jr. and Bijan Robinson, a nod to the kind of talent the Falcons can put on the field and the challenge that comes with facing them. Still, Kyle Shanahan and Fred Warner have made clear the 49ers do not lean on emotional hooks to get themselves ready, treating this one like any other week even if Morriss return gives the matchup a little more to discuss. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Cannot Waste This Start By Playing It Safe
San Francisco is 6-0 despite the kind of injury trouble that usually starts to expose a roster, and that alone has put the 49ers in a familiar but valuable position. This is the sort of start that should make every front-office decision matter a little more, especially for a team with recent history of turning one well-timed addition into a deeper playoff run.
The franchise has shown before what aggressive help can look like, from Emmanuel Sanders in 2019 to the arrivals of Christian McCaffrey and Chase Young in 2023, all moves that fit the same Super Bowl-minded blueprint. John Lynch, though, appears to be approaching this version of the roster with more caution than conviction, which leaves the 49ers in the uneasy space between protecting what they have and pushing harder while the window is wide open. [Read more 🡒]