Wide receiver Jauan Jennings was one the San Francisco 49ers’ few bright spots in 2024.
His breakout campaign in the wake of Brandon Aiyuk’s injury and Deebo Samuel’s struggles helped keep the 49ers offense from falling completely off a cliff last season.
Jennings posted career-highs across the board, but fell short of 1,000 receiving yards because he was ejected in the first half of the final game of the season.
Some numbers from Pro Football Network help highlight just how good Jennings’ season was. It wasn’t simply that the 2020 seventh-round pick posted career-highs. He put up traditional and advanced stats that rivaled some of the best players in the sport.
Via PFN:
There were four players with multiple games in which they posted a 7-90-2 stat line during the regular season: Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Evans, Justin Jefferson, and Jennings. He finished the season averaging 2.29 yards per route, a mark that ranked him 16th among 163 qualified receivers (slotted between Amon-Ra St. Brown and CeeDee Lamb).
Jennings two huge games came in Week 3 vs. the Los Angeles Rams when he hung up 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns, and in Week 14 vs. the Chicago Bears when he caught seven balls for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
It should be a fascinating 2025 for Jennings, who is entering the final year of his contract with San Francisco.
He could conceivably sign an extension to gain some security beyond this season, but it might behoove him to wait for free agency to test his market. Any deal he signs with San Francisco would probably be very team-friendly compared to what he could get as a 28-year-old unrestricted free agent in 2026. If he puts up stats like he did in 2024, he could be in line for a contract that pays him more like the WR1 he appeared to be last season.