This has not been the greatest offseason for Jauan Jennings.
A nagging calf injury has kept the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver sidelined for most of training camp, and now, he’s suffered a setback.
On July 27, Jennings exited practice early after aggravating the same calf injury he’d worked through earlier in the offseason. By July 31, Jennings had missed his third straight practice. At that point, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed it was a re-aggravation of the original injury, and declined to provide a return timeline, indicating the issue may not be a short term one.
Entering training camp, Jennings was dealing with a calf issue that first surfaced during OTAs. While he initially passed his physical and participated in early camp, the injury kept nagging him. Now, with the preseason almost upon us, it’s clear this could be a definite concern for the 49ers moving forward.
49ers Currently Dealing With Injury-Riddled WRs Room Amid Jauan Jennings’ Setback
GettySan Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings has suffered a setback injury.
With no clear timetable and continued absences from practice, it’s unclear how this will impact Jennings’ readiness for Week 1 of the regular season, especially given his expected central role in the offense in Brandon Aiyuk’s absence.
“Injuries have been a defining feature of the 49ers’ receiving corps this offseason,” Niners Wire’s Kyle Madson wrote on July 31. “They finally got Ricky Pearsall back after a hamstring injury cost him OTAs and the first few days of training camp. Jacob Cowing is still out with a hamstring issue and there’s still no timetable for Brandon Aiyuk’s return.”
And now, Jennings is hobbled further.
Jennings Is Coming Off the Best Season of His NFL Career
Over his first three seasons in the Bay Area (2021–2023), Jennings saw limited usage. He served primarily as a depth receiver and special teams contributor before 2024 dramatically altered his trajectory.
Forced into a WR1 role due to Aiyuk’s injury, he posted career‑best numbers: 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns across 15 games and 10 starts. In Week 3 alone, he had 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns in a high‑profile matchup against the L.A. Rams.
At 28, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound wideout is just entering his prime. He can be a matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks when he’s healthy, so Shanahan and company are hoping that’s sooner rather than later.
49ers Recently Added WR Andy Isabella
GettyThe San Francisco 49ers signed former second round wide receiver Andy Isabella.
In a slew of roster moves announced on July 31, the Niners added some potential depth to the WRs room in Andy Isabella.
Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2019 draft, Isabella showed flashes of promise early in his career, including hauling in an 88-yard touchdown as a rookie.
His most productive season came in 2020, when he caught 21 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. From 2021 to 2022, he appeared in just 11 games and recorded only three receptions for 34 yards before being waived by the Cardinals in October 2022.
He’s a receiver Shanahan admittedly liked coming out of the draft, so he’ll be one to watch as the preseason arrives.
“I haven’t seen him for a while just playing against him and think we had him at the Senior Bowl a long time ago,” Shanahan said about Isabella on July 31, before complimenting the wide receiver’s speed.
“Always with him it started with his 40. Anytime he ran those 4.2s that sticks out, it’s a different type of speed. That’s what we’ve noticed when he ran away from us a number of times when he was at Arizona, that’s what has kind of made him different. Just during the workout yesterday you could still see he had that speed and getting some speed in here is something that we thought we needed.”
The 49ers need all the help they can get at wideout, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can stick.
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