Jauan Jennings will request a trade if a new 49ers deal isn’t done by the start of training camp next week.
Jauan Jennings’ future with the 49ers is in question following the news the wide receiver is seeking a new contract, or a trade, as he enters the final year of his current deal.
Handed a two-year extension last offseason, Jennings enjoyed a career year in 2024, finishing with 975 receiving yards and six touchdowns, with only an ejection in the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals preventing him from reaching 1,000 yards.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has consistently made it clear how much he values Jennings for his play as a receiver and the aggressive mentality he displays in the blocking game.
Including a $1.17 million base salary, a prorated option bonus and per game roster and workout bonuses, Jennings is due to earn $7.5 million in 2025 having signed a two-year extension worth $15.39 million last offseason.
A report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Jennings would request a trade to a team willing to pay him if a new deal is not reached by the start of training camp next week.
And, as much as the 49ers love Jennings, a contract projection from Spotrac points to a trade being the most likely outcome.
Spotrac’s market value tool — which creates contract projections based on production, age and the contracts of comparable players — suggests a fair deal for Jennings would be another two-year extension, but this time worth $38.13 million.
The 49ers would clearly like to hang on to Jennings given his rapport with Brock Purdy, his reliability in clutch situations, and his play as a blocker.
But if Jennings demands an average of over $19 million a year, there is a strong chance the 49ers will look to move on. Even with the second-most cap space in the NFL, paying a second receiver who has never had 1,000 yards in a season that kind of deal when they already have Brandon Aiyuk signed to a $30 million a year deal is unlikely to be an appealing prospect to San Francisco.
Having drafted Ricky Pearsall in the first round last year and spent fourth-rounders in successive years on Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins, the 49ers’ response to such a demand would probably be to put their faith in Aiyuk to get back to his best post-injury and rely on their young wideouts to take a step forward while granting Jennings a trade.
Still, Jennings boasts a skill set that no other receiver in the 49er offense offers with his size and ability to win without the benefit of separation from the covering defender.
That is a skill set the 49ers won’t be keen to lose and, as long as his demands are not toot extreme, the most plausible end to this late offseason drama remains that the two sides reach a compromise before camp starts,