The Jacksonville Jaguars waived rookie punt returner Chad Owens yesterday, one day after he made his NFL debut by mishandling three punts in a 10-3 loss at Indianapolis.

Coach Jack Del Rio said the team still hopes to re-sign Owens to its practice squad, but the Jaguars can only do so if the sixth-round pick from Hawai'i clears league-wide waivers today.

Del Rio said he will not re-sign last year's punt returner, David Allen, even though Allen returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown against Miami in the preseason. But aside from dismissing Allen's return, Del Rio would not reveal his plan to fill Owens' spot on the 53-man roster.

"We'll let you know when we make that decision,'' Del Rio said.

Owens fumbled his first and third punt returns Sunday. Both of them were recovered by the Jaguars, but Owens also bobbled his second return. He was pulled just before halftime.

All of Owens' miscues came in an 11-minute span of the second quarter, prompting him to be replaced by fellow rookie Alvin Pearman. A fourth-round pick from Virginia, Pearman is expected to remain the Jaguars' fill-in on punt returns.

"I really can't say,'' Del Rio said yesterday when asked what happened to Owens, who was one of the country's top kick returners in college.

Owens, who wasn't available for comment yesterday, also had no explanations for his repeated fumbles. The 5-foot-7 wide receiver also fumbled twice on punt returns in the preseason, which caused him to be de-activated for the season opener.

"I don't know what happened,'' Owens said Sunday. "I can't even begin to explain it. I wasn't pressing. I thought I was relaxed, but it kept popping out of my hands. I've never had a game like that.''

Jaguars guard Vince Manuwai, who played alongside Owens at Hawai'i, offered no defense for his former college teammate yesterday.

"It's a tough business, but you can't drop three balls,'' Manuwai said. "There are guys in the league who don't even drop one in a whole year. You can't give a guy an opportunity after something like that happens.''

Owens' fumbling problems made him expendable because he was no higher than fifth on the depth chart at receiver and, barring an injury to a teammate, wasn't going to crack the top four anytime soon.

Owens returned five punts for touchdowns at Hawai'i last year, a single-season NCAA record, but struggled with the switch to the NFL. Manuwai said the bigger football used in the NFL could have been one of the problems.

"It's a bigger ball, and he's not used to that,'' Manuwai said. "But he can't let that be an excuse. One thing you can't do in this league is drop three balls like that, especially in the regular season.

"They gave him an opportunity, and he didn't take advantage of it. That's how it goes.''