SAN FRANCISCO, 28 February 2004 — Pro Bowl receiver Terrell Owens will be under contract with the San Francisco 49ers next season, but offensive lineman Derrick Deese, running back Garrison Hearst and defensive lineman Sean Moran will not.
The 49ers learned Thursday that Owens missed last week’s deadline to void the final three years of his contract and is not eligible for free agency under National Football League rules.
“I have spoken to the NFL Management Council and they have confirmed that Terrell Owens will not be among the players listed as an unrestricted free agent,” 49ers general manager Terry Donahue said.
Deese, 33, was one of two players left from the 49ers’ last Super Bowl championship team. He started 115 games with the team, seeing action at all five positions along the offensive line. He made 11 starts last season. “Derrick informed me after this season that he felt he could be a starter in the league for the next couple of years,” Donahue said. “We released him at this time with the idea that this would be helpful to him in pursuing that goal.”
A two-time Comeback Player of the Year, Hearst is one of four running backs in 49ers’ history to reach the 5,000-yard mark. He was second on the team in rushing last season with 768 yards and three touchdowns, despite missing the final four games due to a knee injury. “After we signed Kevan Barlow to a contract extension, Garrison asked for and was granted his release,” Donahue said. “Garrison is a true warrior and one of the greatest guys in all of professional football. No one has ever been more competitive or has defied the odds like Garrison.”
Moran played all 16 games last season, a year after signing with San Francisco as a free agent. “It’s always difficult trying to get under the salary cap, and you hate to say goodbye to players like these,” Donahue said.
