From Underdog to Top Dog: Jauan Jennings Takes the Reins as 49ers’ Leading Wide Receiver
Jauan Jennings doesn’t get enough credit.
Last season, he caught just 19 passes because the 49ers’ relegated him to a part-time third-banana role he clearly had outgrown. Then in the Super Bowl, he showed he was the 49ers’ best wide receiver. And that trend has carried over to this season.
Jennings is averaging a whopping 71 receiving yards per game — tied for 11th-most in the NFL. He has become the 49ers’ starting X receiver in place of Brandon Aiyuk who’s out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL. And Sunday against the Buccaneers, Jennings led all 49ers with 11 targets. No one else got more than seven. Plus he recovered a fumble and set up the game-winning field goal with a 13-yard catch-and-run on the final drive.
Which means Jennings has become the unquestioned go-to guy in the 49ers passing offense. He’s currently on pace for 1,065 yards, and that number will rise if he stays healthy. Because instead of getting 4 to 6 targets per game like he used to, now he’ll get 8 to 12 targets per game.
Thank goodness the 49ers extended his contract before the season started.
Jennings was a restricted free agent this past offseason. Which means the 49ers could have given him a one-year deal and he would have been forced to play on it, then he would have become a very expensive free agent in 2025. Goodbye, Jauan.
Instead, the 49ers offered him a two-year, $15.39 million extension and he took it. That was a huge raise for the former seventh-round pick. But now, it’s a fraction of what he’d be worth on the open market. He’s still one of the biggest bargains on the team.
