I see Jauan Jennings is angling for a new contract. I don’t think it will amount to much, but I understand the reasoning.
The timing looks good, with Brandon Aiyuk rehabbing a torn ACL and Deebo Samuel traded to Washington. Ricky Pearsall didn’t do all that much as a rookie, in part because he was shot in a robbery attempt in August.
All of those wide receivers were selected with top-40 draft picks, but Jennings outperformed all of them last year. He averaged 5.1 catches for 65 yards in 15 games, with 6 TDs. In PPR leagues, those per-game numbers ranked 21st among wide receivers who started at least half the season, just ahead of four other former first-round picks: Jerry Jeudy, Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams and DJ Moore.
| WIDE RECEIVERS, PER GAME 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | St | No | Yds | Run | TD | PPR |
| 1. | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 17 | 7.5 | 100.5 | 1.9 | 1.00 | 23.7 |
| 2. | Tee Higgins, Cin. | 12 | 6.1 | 75.9 | 5.0 | .83 | 19.2 |
| 3. | Puka Nacua, LAR | 11 | 7.2 | 90.0 | 4.2 | .36 | 18.8 |
| 4. | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 17 | 6.1 | 90.2 | .2 | .59 | 18.6 |
| 5. | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 17 | 6.8 | 74.3 | .4 | .71 | 18.5 |
| 6. | Malik Nabers, NYG | 15 | 7.3 | 80.3 | .1 | .49 | 18.2 |
| 7. | CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 15 | 6.7 | 79.6 | 4.7 | .42 | 17.7 |
| 8. | Mike Evans, T.B. | 14 | 5.3 | 71.7 | 4.7 | .79 | 17.6 |
| 9. | Nico Collins, Hou. | 12 | 5.7 | 83.8 | .0 | .58 | 17.6 |
| 10. | Davante Adams, 2tms | 14 | 6.1 | 75.9 | .0 | .60 | 17.2 |
| 11. | Brian Thomas, Jac. | 17 | 5.1 | 75.4 | 2.8 | .63 | 16.7 |
| 12. | A.J. Brown, Phil. | 13 | 5.2 | 83.0 | .0 | .54 | 16.7 |
| 13. | Drake London, Atl. | 17 | 5.9 | 74.8 | -.2 | .53 | 16.5 |
| 14. | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 17 | 4.8 | 64.5 | .1 | .76 | 15.9 |
| 15. | DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 13 | 5.2 | 64.1 | .1 | .62 | 15.3 |
| 16. | Ladd McConkey, LAC | 16 | 5.1 | 71.8 | .0 | .46 | 15.1 |
| 17. | Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 17 | 5.9 | 64.9 | .3 | .43 | 15.1 |
| 18. | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sea. | 17 | 5.9 | 66.5 | 1.5 | .35 | 14.8 |
| 19. | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 12 | 5.6 | 59.2 | .8 | .50 | 14.6 |
| 20. | Jakobi Meyers, L.V. | 15 | 5.8 | 68.5 | 1.5 | .29 | 14.5 |
| 21. | Jauan Jennings, S.F. | 15 | 5.1 | 65.0 | 2.4 | .40 | 14.3 |
| 22. | Jerry Jeudy, Cle. | 17 | 5.3 | 72.3 | .0 | .27 | 14.2 |
| 23. | Jordan Addison, Min. | 15 | 4.2 | 58.3 | 1.3 | .67 | 14.2 |
| 24. | Jameson Williams, Det. | 15 | 3.9 | 66.7 | 4.1 | .53 | 14.1 |
| 25. | DJ Moore, Chi. | 17 | 5.8 | 56.8 | 4.4 | .37 | 14.1 |
| 26. | Adam Thielen, Car. | 10 | 4.8 | 61.5 | .0 | .50 | 14.0 |
| 27. | Courtland Sutton, Den. | 17 | 4.8 | 63.6 | .0 | .47 | 13.9 |
| 28. | Josh Downs, Ind. | 14 | 5.1 | 57.4 | .9 | .36 | 13.1 |
| 29. | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 15 | 4.4 | 66.1 | .0 | .33 | 13.0 |
| 30. | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 17 | 4.8 | 56.4 | 3.1 | .35 | 12.8 |
| 31. | Keenan Allen, Chi. | 15 | 4.7 | 49.6 | .0 | .47 | 12.4 |
| 32. | Zay Flowers, Balt. | 17 | 4.4 | 62.3 | 3.3 | .24 | 12.3 |
| 33. | Khalil Shakir, Buff. | 15 | 5.1 | 54.7 | .3 | .27 | 12.2 |
| 34. | Darnell Mooney, Atl. | 16 | 4.0 | 62.0 | .0 | .31 | 12.1 |
| 35. | George Pickens, Pitt. | 14 | 4.2 | 64.3 | -.4 | .21 | 11.9 |
| 36. | Calvin Ridley, Ten. | 17 | 3.8 | 59.8 | 3.2 | .29 | 11.8 |
| 37. | Jayden Reed, G.B. | 17 | 3.2 | 50.4 | 9.6 | .41 | 11.7 |
| 38. | Xavier Worthy, K.C. | 16 | 3.7 | 39.9 | 6.5 | .56 | 11.7 |
| 39. | Marvin Harrison, Ari. | 17 | 3.6 | 52.1 | .0 | .47 | 11.7 |
| 40. | Quentin Johnston, LAC | 15 | 3.7 | 47.4 | .4 | .53 | 11.6 |
| -- | • Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 15 | 3.4 | 44.7 | 9.1 | .27 | 10.4 |
| -- | • Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 7 | 3.6 | 53.4 | .0 | .00 | 8.9 |
| -- | • Ricky Pearsall, S.F. | 11 | 2.8 | 36.4 | 4.1 | .27 | 8.5 |
Jennings last until the seventh round of the 2020 draft, largely because he ran a sluggish 4.72 at the combine. He’s slow. But he’s shown he can play effectively. He caught 68 percent of the passes thrown his way last year, 9th-best among wide receivers with at least 100 targets.
The 49ers re-signed Jennings in 2023 to a two-year extension averaging $7.7 million. That was before he showed he could capably handle a starting role.
The 49ers don’t have much else at the position. They signed Demarcus Robinson, who’s started for three other teams, but he’s limited and is also suspended for the first three weeks. (The deal Robinson signed averages only $4 million). Jacob Cowling runs 4.3 but didn’t play much as a rookie and is tiny.
Hence the powerplay, with Jennings saying, ‘pay me or trade me.’
But it’s unlikely to amount to much. Jennings isn’t quite good enough for the 49ers to panic at the possibility of playing without him, and there isn’t a team out there willing to trade for him. Matt Barrows, who covers the team for The Athletic, says he has a source who says Jennings is expect to report for the start of camp.
In my mind, Jennings looks like he’ll be the best of the San Francisco wide receivers this year, but he’s not a difference-maker kind of guy. Pearsall should take a second-year step, but I’ve got him in the No. 2 spot.
—Ian Allan