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Quintez Cephus walks out to the field at Detroit Lions Training Camp

The San Francisco 49ers signed their second wide receiver in three days, this time inking WR Quintez Cephus to a deal on Thursday July 24, 2025 after second-year wideout Jacob Cowing went down with a hamstring injury during the first day of training camp. 

Cephus, 27, worked out for the 49ers recently along with five other wide receivers. That group included Equanimeous St. Brown, who the 49ers just signed on Tuesday July 22, 2025. 

Cephus gives 49ers quarterbacks Brock Purdy, Mac Jones and Tanner Mordecai another healthy receiver to throw to. 

And for Cephus, he gets one of the best chances of his NFL career thus far to carve out a consistent role on the 49ers roster amidst a WR room with so many injured and unproven players. 

All About Quintez Cephus 

Quintez Cephus was a star dual sport athlete in high school, and actually committed to the University of Furman to play basketball back in 2015. 

Ultimately, he made the decision to play football at the University of Wisconsin instead. 

Cephus saw limited action in his first season at Wisconsin in 2016, then had a productive season in 2017 with 501 receiving yards. He could have had an even more impressive season had he not broken his leg in a game against Indiana on November 4, 2017, causing him to miss the Badgers’ final five games of the season.  

Unfortunately, Cephus then also missed the entire 2018 season after he was accused of sexual assault and suspended by the university. Cephus was eventually acquitted of the charges and returned to the Badgers in 2019. 

During his 2019 season, he became a star, leading Wisconsin with 901 receiving yards and seven scores. 

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That effort inspired the Detroit Lions to select Cephus with the 166th pick in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft. 

Cephus was a productive WR for the Lions in his first season, playing in 13 games and recording 349 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. 

But Cephus saw his production dip in his next two seasons in Detroit. He only amassed 219 yards and two touchdowns in the next two seasons before the Lions while dealing with injuries. 

Then in 2023, Cephus was suspended indefinitely and released by the Lions for violating the NFL’s gambling policy and betting on NFL games. After his reinstatement in April 2024, Cephus has bounced around with several NFL teams. Those teams include the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams. The Rams just released Cephus on June 20, 2025. 

He hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2022. But he’s still young, talented and hungry for a second chance. 

The 49ers Cut Israel Abanikanda in Corresponding Move

49ers fans are undoubtedly glad to add to the team’s WR depth. But it is certainly unfortunate to see Israel Abanikanda cut this early in camp. 

Abanikanda is a former star running back who played at Pittsburgh. In 2022, Abanikanda led the ACC in rushing yards with 1,431 and led the entire FBS with 20 rushing touchdowns. 

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The New York Jets drafted him in the fifth round in 2023 and he hasn’t stuck with an NFL team yet. But he is still only 23 years old, and there’s no denying that he’s an enticing prospect. 

The 49ers have a lot of unproven RBs in their organization. So, it seemed like Abanikanda had a chance to make some noise at training camp. Unfortunately, the 49ers just needed a wide receiver so badly that they had to make the tough choice to cut Abanikanda. 

49ers fans, are you excited about the Quintez Cephus signing? Where do you think Israel Abanikanda will end up next? 

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Ethan Inman is a sports journalist covering the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders for heavy.com. He also co-hosts a college football podcast for The Voice of College Football, and writes about the NBA and MLB. He has previously covered the USC Trojans, the NHL, college baseball, and the intersection of sports and popular culture for other publications. He is based in the greater Los Angeles area. More about Ethan Inman