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Jauan Jennings was on hand Wednesday for his second straight practice, and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects the receiver to play in Sunday’s season opener at Seattle.
Jennings has not spoken to the media (the 49ers said that will happen this week), and it's possible the wide receiver has been waiting to do so until an adjustment to his 2025 contract has been formalized.
That happened Wednesday evening as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the 49ers and the veteran wide receiver agreed to a deal that will add $3 million in play-time incentives to his current contract. Jennings had been scheduled to make up to $7.5 million; he can now earn up to $10.5 million this season.
Schefter reported that Jennings rejected a multi-year offer from the 49ers, which — given the team's crowded salary-cap situation — obviously wasn't big enough to convince the 28-year-old wideout to forfeit an appealing chance to hit free agency in 2026.
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Schefter said that negotiations between Jennings and the 49ers heated up recently after he'd healed up from a calf injury that caused him to miss the majority of training camp. Jennings returned to practice on Monday.
Last week, 49ers general manager John Lynch said Jennings had requested a trade, but the team did not plan to move a player who caught 77 passes for 975 yards last season — effectively outgrowing the modest two-year extension he signed in 2024 — and also features prominently in the offense as a leading run blocker.
Shanahan brought up right tackle Colton McKivitz when speaking of Jennings, before news of a reworked contract was reported. Like the receiver, McKivitz was a 2020 draft product who’s entering the lame-duck year of his rookie contract.
“Jauan and Colton McKivitz — those are two guys we really hope to keep here,” Shanahan said. “They’re both going into their contract year. Nothing’s ever final, but we’ll see how it plays out. But there’s a business side to both sides, but that’s something that I think both sides would love to get worked out. I just don’t know if we can.”
The 49ers would presumably like to see even more improvement from McKivitz — who surged forward in 2024 — before making a big commitment in a pricey O-line market (McKivitz’s former backup, Jaylon Moore, recently signed for $15 million annually with the Kansas City Chiefs.) And the team is wary of paying Jennings a year after its massive commitment to fellow receiver Brandon Aiyuk has yet to yield dividends.
That's why added incentives always made the most sense in this situation. And the 49ers and Jennings have agreed on an amount that effectively threads a tricky needle.
Practice notes
• Wednesday marked the 49ers’ first regular season practice of 2025, so Shanahan — as is custom — announced the captains for 2025. Players vote to award these designations.
There are no surprises on this list, which features seven captains from last season plus cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. He effectively replaces receiver Deebo Samuel, whom the 49ers traded to Washington over the offseason.
The only position group not represented by a captain is receiver. Aiyuk, who’s on the physically unable to perform list, has yet to practice this season. And although it seemed that Ricky Pearsall put up a solid bid over camp to earn a captainship, the second-year wideout will have to wait until at least 2026.
• The 49ers ran a roster receiver swap Tuesday and Wednesday. They promoted Marquez Valdes-Scantling from the practice squad to the 53-man roster while releasing Russell Gage — who was on the 53 — and re-signed him to the practice squad.
“My biggest thing was making sure that both of them are still on our team,” Shanahan said. “They both are, and they both have a good chance to be up playing here on Sunday.”
That’s essentially confirmation from Shanahan that the 49ers protected Valdes-Scantling from being poached by another team. Practice squad players can be signed away to 53-man rosters elsewhere, and the Pittsburgh Steelers — whose quarterback Aaron Rodgers wanted his team to sign Valdes-Scantling — might’ve been on the prowl after releasing veteran wideout Robert Woods on Tuesday.
The 49ers can elevate Gage for game action up to three times from the practice squad this season, so Sunday’s game plan remains unchanged.
These moves do come with significant financial ramifications for both players, as the active roster veteran minimum salary ($1.17 million) dwarfs the practice squad minimum salary ($315,000).
If Gage plays well, though, there is a good chance he can earn a promotion back to the 53-man roster at some point.
• Defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos and receiver Jordan Watkins did not practice for the 49ers on Wednesday. Shanahan said Gross-Matos, who returned to practice Monday from his knee injury, did not suffer a setback. Watkins, meanwhile, continues to work back from a high ankle sprain.