Why Jauan Jennings wants a new contract — and how the 49ers might resolve this

A relatively drama-free 49ers offseason just became a bit more tense.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, wide receiver Jauan Jennings wants either a new contract or a trade. A holdout for training camp, which begins next week, is not expected — but Jennings is dissatisfied with his deal. The 49ers and Jennings agreed to that two-year contract, worth up to about $15 million, just last offseason.

The reason for the receiver’s discontent is simple. In his first chance at a featured role, Jennings wildly outperformed his existing contract with a 77-catch, 975-yard 2024 season. He turned 28 just four days ago and obviously feels urgency to secure a deal that’s more reflective of his statistical output.

Jennings ranks No. 42 of all receivers in terms of contract average per year (APY); he finished No. 28 in receiving yards at the position last season. But a look at raw yardage oversimplifies the situation. Jennings, whom the 49ers picked in the seventh round of the 2020 draft, has long been considered a glue piece of coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense in ways that transcend basic box scores.

For one, Jennings is one of the NFL’s most ferocious run blockers at the receiving position — a skill that’s more important for the 49ers than it is for essentially any other team. Jennings has developed a tone-setting reputation with his aggressive style.

He’s also clutch, reliable, and versatile in the passing game. When an injured Deebo Samuel missed Week 3 at Los Angeles last season, Jennings stepped into the “Z” receiver role and delivered an 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown showing — the type of statistical performance only Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens had previously delivered in 49ers history. Jennings then filled the critical “X” receiver position after Brandon Aiyuk went down for the season.

Jennings ended up with first downs on 47 of his 77 catches last season. Shanahan has stated that Jennings, even though he lacks a top wideout’s conventional straight-line speed, may be the 49ers’ best separator thanks to his excellent body control and thorough knowledge of the route tree.

Those aren’t easily replaceable attributes, especially on a team with built-in uncertainty at the receiver position. Aiyuk is still recovering from ACL and MCL tears and may miss the start of the season, while veteran Demarcus Robinson, who recently pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor DUI charge, might also be unavailable due to a potential NFL suspension.

That’d leave Jennings as the 49ers’ top receiver to open the 2025 season. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that he’d voice his displeasure now as veterans are slated to report to training camp in just over a week.

Jennings certainly has some leverage behind his ask for more compensation, especially with the 49ers interested in avoiding contract unpleasantries — like the ones they endured with Aiyuk at this time last year — as they strive for a bounce-back 2025.

Sure, veteran wideouts such as Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen are available on the free-agent market, but neither is likely to rival Jennings’ cultural and stylistic fit with the 49ers. And both of those players are older than Jennings.

Of course, the 49ers have leverage of their own, most of it rooted in the fact that Jennings is under contract with them through 2025. It’s worth noting that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, also represents tight end Jonnu Smith — who asked the Miami Dolphins for a new deal earlier this offseason. Miami ended up trading Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who signed him to a one-year deal worth $12 million.

Perhaps a similar approach — minus the trade — is in the cards for the 49ers and Jennings. It seems unlikely that the 49ers would trade away a key performer, especially from an offense that has seen big-time investment this offseason. The team has already rewarded quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle with massive contract extensions.

While the 49ers are clearly exhibiting some restraint this offseason in the name of maintaining longer-term salary-cap health — and likely also waiting on Jennings to deliver multiple big seasons before offering him a truly lucrative contract — the middle ground of a pay raise that brings Jennings’ compensation above that $12 million mark and preserves his shot at 2025 free agency could mark an acceptable compromise.

It’s worth noting that, a year ago, it would’ve been awfully hard to predict this particular impasse. The 49ers didn’t anticipate Aiyuk’s struggles and subsequent injury when they awarded him a deal worth up to $30 million annually. They didn’t expect Jennings’ statistical explosion, because he wasn’t meant to be a featured weapon in 2024.

After Aiyuk’s season took its disastrous turn, Jennings seized his opportunity, and the 49ers have entered a new reality with their receivers. Both sides know this, and now they can turn to a familiar friend — deadline pressure — to see if it can help deliver a resolution that’s fair to everyone involved.