The San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 stumble preceded an offseason of turnover. The cap constraints of the Super Bowl window have forced the 49ers’ hand. They’ve lost 17 free agents to new homes and traded receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders.
Despite those departures, San Francisco also made its fair share of long-term commitments. Tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy recently received significant extensions, the latter being one of the most important moves of the Kyle Shanahan era. On Monday, linebacker Fred Warner became the highest-paid linebacker in the sport.
Clearly, the team’s turnover has not precluded it from keeping core pieces around. As such, one key 49ers contributor is emerging as another extension candidate.
Niners Nation recently listed receiver Jauan Jennings as a potential long-term option for San Francisco, and after his breakout 2024 campaign, it’s hard not to buy his stock.
“The obvious candidate remaining is slot wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who signed a two-year, $15.4 million extension last offseason,” Rohan Chakravarthi wrote. “Entering the final year of his deal once again, Jennings could look for a bump in pay ahead of the 2025 season after blowing his career numbers through the roof in 2024.”
It goes without saying that in Brandon Aiyuk’s absence, Jennings filled his shoes. He logged 77 catches for 975 yards and six scores. He ascended from an unheralded cog in San Francisco’s offensive machine to one of the most important players on the roster, pairing his elite blocking with pass-catching nuance.
Jennings wasn’t merely the best receiver on a beaten-down 49ers team. According to nfelo, Jennings generated the 17th-most expected points added among receivers with the 26th-highest target share and 28th-best catch rate over expected.
“Now entering a contract year once again, the 49ers could look to re-ink Jennings on a multi-year deal entering his age-28 season,” Chakravarthi continued. “The slot wideout is a great fit in San Francisco’s offense and would provide the 49ers with a long-term trio of Jennings, Aiyuk, and 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall.”
According to Over the Cap, Jennings is the 42nd-highest paid receiver in the sport, by average annual value. With one year of substantial production, he likely wouldn’t be overly expensive. San Francisco could realistically help Jennings crack the top 30 at the position without making a real dent in next season’s (limited) cap space. Given his importance to the offense and the stability of his role, that’s a safe bet to make.
