Getty Wide receiver Bennie Fowler #18 of the New York Giants celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against Washington.
The New York Giants have worked diligently to upgrade their receiving corps this offseason. Yet, it wasn’t long ago that the team relied on NFL journeymen such as Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler to log meaningful snaps at the receiver position.
Fowler, in particular, was a player who carved out a role much larger than expected during his two seasons in East Rutherford, starting seven of his 18 games (703 total offensive snaps) with the team from 2018-19. The former undrafted free agent followed up his two-year stint with the Giants by joining the New Orleans Saints in 2020, catching passes from NFL legend Drew Brees. Now, he’ll be taking his talents to the NFC West to replace a former second-round pick in the San Franciso 49ers‘ receiving corps.
The Niners recently announced that they’ve signed Fowler to a one-year deal. In a corresponding move, the team waived wide receiver Marqise Lee, who was originally signed on May 17, 2021. The No. 39 overall selection in the 2014 Draft, Lee spent the first six seasons of his career in Jacksonville. His 56 receptions in 2017 led a Jaguars team that fell just moments short of a Super Bowl appearance. The USC product suffered a career-altering knee injury in the 2018 preseason that has limited him to a total of just three receptions and 18 receiving yards since.
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Fowler Has Caught Passes From Both Manning Brothers
We noted how Fowler played alongside Drew Brees in NOLA last season. However, that’s far from the only Hall of Fame-caliber signal-caller he’s caught passes from over his seven-year NFL career.
Fowler’s biggest career calling card is undoubtedly his contributions to the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 victory. In the 24-10 defeat of the Carolina Panthers, Fowler hauled in a two-point conversion from quarterback Peyton Manning to extend the Broncos lead by two scores in the fourth quarter. The pass would be the final of Manning’s illustrious NFL career.
Following Fowler’s four-year tenure in Denver, he went on to join the G-Men as an in-season signing in 2018 where he would go on to catch 16 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown from Eli Manning. The following season, Fowler would see a bump in usage with then-rookie Daniel Jones under center. Fowler hauled in 23-of-36 targets in the regular season. He also helped welcome Jones to the NFL by being on the receiving end of the quarterback’s first-ever NFL touchdown — a 12-yard grab in Jones’ preseason debut.
Fowler’s Career
Fowler has appeared in 68 games (12 starts) since entering the league in 2014. While he did have a cup of coffee with both the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears, all of Fowler’s production stems from stops with the Broncos, Giants and Saints.
In total, he’s amassed 97 receptions for 1,101 yards and six touchdowns over his career. Fowler has also appeared in three postseason games, recording two receptions for 35 yards. His production took a steep nosedive in 2020, where he appeared in only five games, recording two receptions for 11 yards before the Saints ultimately placed him on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.