A report last week indicated that 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings wanted either a new contract or a trade. The veteran is still expected to report to training camp on Wednesday, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that his wideout hasn’t formally requested out of San Francisco, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
Jennings signed a two-year deal last spring that replaced his second-round RFA tender. He proceeded to have a career season as the 49ers navigated a number of injuries. Jennings finished the 2024 campaign with 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns. Set to earn $3.28M in salary guarantees in 2025 (plus an option bonus of $1.12M on Sept. 1), the impending free agent is now seeking some long-term security.
With Deebo Samuel no longer on the team and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a torn ACL, the 49ers are set to be even more dependent on Jennings in 2025. The 49ers front office has dealt with plenty of contract drama at the position in recent years, but Jennings’ lack of track record makes this situation a bit more unique. It remains to be seen if Jennings will carry through with his trade-request threat, and for the time being, it appears both sides will proceed as planned.
If Jennings does suddenly pivot to a holdout or trade request, the 49ers will have to dig even deeper into their depth chart. 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall would likely lead the group, but he’s currently nursing a hamstring issue that landed him on PUP. The team brought in some reinforcement at the position this offseason, signing veterans Demarcus Robinson and Isaiah Hodgins while drafting Jordan Watkins (fourth round) and Junior Bergen (seventh round). The team is also rostering 2024 fourth-round pick Jacob Cowing.
The 49ers could also count on an eventual return for Aiyuk, but it sounds like the star receiver’s comeback is still a ways off. GM John Lynch told reporters that Aiyuk is still “not anywhere close to having a concrete timeline,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Aiyuk suffered his knee injury in late October, and it seems like he’s destined to miss at least the first four games of the upcoming campaign.
