The Niners still own Owens

Terrell Owens can't be a free agent this year, because his agent missed the deadline for filing the necessary paperwork:

San Francisco 49ers receiver Terrell Owens, who had planned to shop his services around the NFL as a free agent next month, won't be eligible to do so, FOX Sports NFL insider John Czarnecki has learned.

According to league sources, Owens and his agent, David Joseph, missed the deadline to file the necessary paperwork with the 49ers and the NFL's management council in order to void the final three years of his contract. That means Owens' rights revert back to the 49ers and his only way out of San Francisco would be via a trade, the sources said.

Rather than seeing him leave and getting nothing in return, the 49ers can now field trade offers for Owens, who has had a contentious relationship with quarterback Jeff Garcia in San Francisco.

If T.O. has a sense of humor, he'll go to his agent's office, pull a Sharpie out of his shoe and write "you're fired" on the wall.

Posted by damian at February 26, 2004 08:02 PM