Terrell Owens knows the one thing that’s holding the San Francisco 49ers back.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver played for five different teams in the NFL, but it was with the 49ers where he began his career and started making a name for himself. Owens spent the first eight seasons of his career (1996-2003) in San Francisco, establishing himself as an All-Pro and Pro Bowl wide receiver while playing alongside the greatest receiver of all time in Jerry Rice.
Owens knows all about leading a winning team in San Francisco and the current 49ers fit the bill. San Francisco is coming off of a 27-7 beatdown of the Super Bowl favorites, the Los Angeles Rams. They held the Rams to their lowest point total in the Matthew Stafford era, sending a message that they’re arguably as big of a threat as Los Angeles in the NFC West.
The former star receiver said the sky is the limit for the 49ers and absolutely acknowledges they can win a Super Bowl this year. He said the one thing holding them back is the injuries.
“Oh yeah, absolutely,” said Owens in a one-on-one interview with Heavy Sports on the injuries holding the 49ers back. “I think they would say that for themselves. The last few years they’ve been riddled by injuries. I didn’t mention George Kittle, but a tight end who’s going to be just as good as a Travis Kelce when they’re hitting on all cylinders. Kittle can be to Brock Purdy what Kelce is to Patrick Mahomes.”
49ers Have Been Held Back by Injuries Over the Years
The 49ers have constantly been riddled by injuries to their star players. George Kittle is obviously making his return from a serious season-ending Achilles injury last year. Meanwhile, star linebacker Fred Warner suffered a season-ending dislocated broken ankle in Week 6 last season.
Others such as Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy have been limited due to serious injuries of their own in recent years.
The 49ers have been the model of consistency in the NFC since 2019, advancing to two Super Bowls with multiple deep playoff runs. However, they’ve been unable to finish the job and actually win the Super Bowl. They’re seeking their first Super Bowl since 1994, something that precedes Owens’ own NFL career.
“Health plays a tremendous part in it,” said Owens. “You see with the injuries that the Chiefs sustained throughout the course of their last couple of years, especially at the quarterback position, which is a position that is very impactful when it comes to the Chiefs. They’re going to be only as good as Patrick Mahomes. But as it relates to the Niners, I’m going to segue and use that Chiefs kind of like blueprint model with the 49ers. Obviously, Brock Purdy, he’s going to be a big part to their success. Can he do it? Can he do it alone? Absolutely not. Health is going to play a big part in where they go this season.”
We’ll see if the 49ers can remain healthy in order to accomplish their objective of winning a Super Bowl.
Terrell Owens on New Podcast, Why He Never Transitioned to Traditional Media
While Owens will see if his former team can get over the hump, he’s embarking on his own endeavors such as podcasting these days. The 52-year-old is hosting a new podcast alongside comedian Chris Spencer titled “Get To The Point.” The podcast drops new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is through Sinclair’s AMP Media, which also produces podcast such as “The Triple Option”, “Cousins” and “Throwbacks.”
Mark Ingram, Matt Leinart, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Urban Meyer are among the big sports names on their podcast portfolio with Owens now joining the fold.
“How it came about is I’ve been trying to get back into the podcast space,” said Owens. “I did one a few years back, I did it with a former college player and good friend of mine named Matthew Hatchette. It was called “Get Your Pop Corn Ready” with T.O. and Hatch. In the podcast space, everybody’s been asking me when I’m gonna get back into the space. The reason I’m not doing it with Hatch is because now Hatch is full-time head coach at Huntington Beach High School. So shout out to Matt. He’s doing amazing there.”
Owens originally met Spencer at a celebrity basketball game way back in 1998.
“But yeah, everybody’s been wondering when I’m going to get back into the space, and so if I was going to get back into it, I needed somebody that obviously I had chemistry with that’s kind of well versed in a number of topics,” Owens said of why he joined forces with Spencer. “Obviously chemistry and camaraderie, all those things matter when you’re working with somebody or on a show. You gotta have somebody that you can coexist with the good, bad, and the ugly. I’m the good-looking guy, and he’s the ugly guy. So it makes good for a good show.”
The Hall of Fame wide receiver said he’s always been a natural in front of the camera, with PR people telling him during his playing career that he could have a broadcasting career.
“Calvin Hill, he was with the Dallas Cowboys, he played in Dallas and then he had a title there,” said Owens. “He was within the organization, and I think he had mentioned to me that I was really good in front of the camera. He’s like, ‘Yo, you may have a career in media after football is all said and done.’ Obviously, I haven’t done any mainstream media. I haven’t been on any networks and things of that nature, commentating or broadcasting. But people saw that I was a natural in front of the camera, and then obviously, you see the explosion of podcasts from like 15-20 years ago, and now everybody and their mama has a podcast these days.
“I think it was a natural progression for me to get into the space, and then to do podcasts, you got to find somebody that you’re comfortable with,” Owens continued. “Number one, you have chemistry with, and you can ramble off and talk about a number of different topics, and not all topics have to be so serious and so heavy. I think now with the explosion of so many social media platforms, I think it was just a natural fit for me to be in this space.”
Owens mentions how he would love to be on national television in a natural broadcasting role as an analyst, but acknowledges that he’s been held out of the space because he doesn’t fit the typical mold personality wise. He details how talks have never gotten serious about placing him in a television role and mentions a specific entity with certain people that aren’t high on him.
“I’m open to doing it,” said Owens. “Like I said, a lot of people have said that I would be great for TV and things of that nature. The entities and the categories that you mentioned, commentating, broadcasting. I think I’ve had some opportunities to do that, but I have firsthand knowledge that some people have kind of stiffed me and probably have prevented me from getting and being in those spaces.”
While the former wide receiver great would love to do broadcasting, he said he’s not going to lose sleep if he never does. He’s focused on podcasting along with staying busy through playing pickleball. Owens plays competitive pickleball and has a pickleball clothing line.
“At the end of the day, like I said, I’m not for everybody,” said Owens. “I never hung my hat on trying to be a media, darling or or anything of the such. I never hung my hat on trying to do commentating or being a broadcaster. I do realize that for some people that there’s an easier transition and for some people it’s not.”
Terrell Owens Reveals 49ers’ Biggest Weakness, Talks New Podcast