The San Francisco 49ers have a contract problem on their hands. WR Jauan Jennings has been holding out of practice for some time now in pursuit of an new deal, and we finally got some details on the specifics he’s seeking. Per Tim Kawakami of the SF Standard, Jennings is asking for at least $20 million per year on his new contract, and likely more. Perhaps “a lot” more.
Kawakami reports that Jennings wants a salary in the top 20 for wide receivers in average annual value (AAV), which would put him at $22 million per year on the low end. The Los Angeles Rams’ Davante Adams is currently the 20th-highest-paid receiver in the league, and that’s what he’s making on his new deal.
“What I’ve heard from the 49ers’ side is they don’t want to do anything,” Kawakami said on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Thursday. “They are negotiating. I think there have been numbers exchanged but they just redid [Jennings’] deal last year and that’s before he got 975 yards receiving. That was before he was [the] first receiver, basically, last year when Aiyuk got hurt. That’s before a lot of other things happened.”
The San Francisco 49ers Can’t Afford to Lose Jauan Jennings
Christian Petersen/GettyGLENDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 05: Jauan Jennings #15 of the San Francisco 49ers is held back after the play against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at State Farm Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Unfortunately for the 49ers, they don’t have a ton of leverage in these negotiations. They need Jennings, and he knows it. WR Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL midway through last season, and he’s starting the year on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which will sideline him for the first four games of the season, at minimum. He’s likely to miss at least five games, if not longer.
The 49ers also traded away WR Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders this offseason in lieu of giving him a new contract, meaning their top two receivers for the last several seasons won’t be on the field for San Francisco to start the season.
Jennings is a former seventh-round pick out of Tennessee in 2020, and he’s steadily climbed up the depth chart in San Francisco. He enjoyed a breakout season last year, totaling 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns, operating as the top receiver on the team when Aiyuk and Samuel were both out with injuries.
San Francisco’s depth chart behind Jennings is suffering, as well. 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall is ready for a sophomore jump, but free agent signee Demarcus Robinson is serving a suspension to start the season. Jacob Cowing is on short-term Injured Reserve (IR), as is Trent Taylor. Russell Gage Jr. and Jordan Watkins are both dealing with injuries of their own, leaving Pearsall and Skyy Moore as the only two healthy, practicing receivers on the roster. The 49ers need Jennings.
Critical Season Upcoming in San Francisco
After coming up just short in overtime in the Super Bowl two seasons ago, the 49ers missed the playoffs last season. Crumbling depth and a rash of injuries held the team back last year, but they’ve now been surpassed by the Rams within their own division, at least on paper.
It’s a critical year for this 49ers’ core, as QB Brock Purdy has a brand new extension of his own that pays him market-level money. The team can’t afford to be without Jennings for long.
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