​The 2024 NFL Draft carried a deeply personal and unusual narrative for the San Francisco 49ers, spotlighting a handful of prospects who are direct descendants of the franchise’s legacy. Although the front office ultimately inked wide receiver Terique Owens, the son of Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, to an offseason deal, another lineage-based pass-catcher appeared almost destined to don the red and gold in time. Brenden Rice, the son of football’s widely regarded greatest receiver, Jerry Rice, instead watched his draft stock slip as teams evaluated him.
Selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round, the younger Rice has spent the last two years navigating a turbulent NFL landscape. After the Green Bay Packers claimed him off waivers in May, Rice has already been part of five different NFL organizations before his third professional season even begins. To put his volatile journey in perspective, his on-field footprint remains minuscule despite all the moving parts: he has appeared in only three career games, all during his rookie year in 2024 with the Chargers under coach Jim Harbaugh, totaling 10 special-teams snaps and three offensive plays without a single official target.
The Chargers released him before the 2025 season, sparking a continuous practice squad odyssey. In November 2025, he signed with the New England Patriots for a one-week stint before a roster shuffle forced his release. Moments later, he joined the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad for exactly two weeks. From December 2025 to May 2026, Rice migrated to the desert to join the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice unit, signing a reserve/future deal in January before receiving a post-draft release. Then, from May 2026 to the present, he was claimed off waivers by the Green Bay Packers.
Breaking into Matt LaFleur’s receiver rotation will demand an extraordinary summer camp effort, but Rice’s baseline traits remain distinctly compelling. During his two-year tenure at USC, Rice emerged as an elite, explosive seam threat for quarterback Caleb Williams. He accumulated 1,402 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 84 receptions, underscoring his ability to stretch vertical and intermediate routes with elite speed and acceleration. His connection with Williams was evident, and it’s surprising that Chicago hasn’t yet extended a practice squad invitation to reunite the former Trojans duo.
If Green Bay decides to expose Rice to waivers at the roster cutdown on August 30, Chicago would present a highly logical landing spot for him. The Bears could arguably use the added big-play ability and the familiar chemistry Rice developed at USC to bolster their offensive weapons behind their current receiving core.
Ultimately, it still feels almost inevitable that Rice will eventually find his way back to Santa Clara. John Lynch’s wide receiver room already sits in a favorable position with recent additions, but Rice’s talent and lineage make him a prime candidate to land with the 49ers at some point in his career. As long as he can translate his USC-era explosiveness into NFL production and maintain durability through summer practices, a reunion with the organization that values heritage and potential could become a reality.