Now Would Be a Good Time To Extend Jauan Jennings
Third-and-Jauan becoming three-year extension and Jauan?
Since John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have taken over, the San Francisco 49ers Front Office has shown a willingness to spend and be big spenders at that. Now after the news that Jennings wants a new deal, it could be the perfect time to reward him.
The front office this off-season extended their prolific tight end George Kittle, and the electric leader of the defense, Fred Warner. This made them once again the highest-paid players at their positions. However, there was no headline bigger than solidifying their franchise quarterback by giving out the biggest deal in team history to Brock Purdy. All of these moves followed the in-season extension of up-and-coming cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.
The 49ers have made it a priority to get the players that they have deemed their core players extended this off-season. The next player that fits on this list? Jauan Jennings.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old wide receiver was due for an extension at the end of the season anyway, but now the team must make a decision. Set for a big season following the loss of Deebo Samuel and the recovery of Brandon Aiyuk, Jennings could have set himself up for even more money in true free agency if he had a great season. Instead, he’s taking the safe route and looking for that extension now. It’ll be risky to sign him after paying Aiyuk as well, but they could potentially save some money by getting ahead of another breakout season.
Jennings is a “follow-my-lead” type of player, as he has done all the dirty work since he stepped foot in Santa Clara. In his big slot role for the offense, he was tasked with being an instrumental piece to the run game with his blocking, while not always being the primary target. Before his breakout 2024 campaign when he replaced Brandon Aiyuk at the X WR spot, he just totaled a lowly seven touchdowns in his time after being drafted in 2020.
As if being nicknamed “Third-and-Jauan” due to your ability to come up big on the money down in the NFL was not enough, he also has shone brightest in the moments the 49ers have needed him most. His two-touchdown performance in week 18 of the 2021 season against the Rams to make the playoffs, or his contested catch on third down over the fingertips of Keisean Nixon in the 2024 NFL Divisional Round, are not even considered his clutchest moments. In Super Bowl LVIII, he not only caught a touchdown in the 4th quarter to give his team the lead, but also threw a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey to get the scoring started. He joined Nick Foles as the only players to record a passing touchdown and receiving touchdown in Super Bowl history.
While Jennings has proved to be a valuable piece to the puzzle that is the San Francisco 49ers, money talks, and the price of receivers in the NFL only continues to rise.
Rashod Bateman of the Baltimore Ravens just recently signed a 3-year, $36.75 million extension after a breakout 2024 season. This contract should be used as the template for a Jennings extension. Their career path statistically is quite similar after a slow ramp up to their breakout seasons. Each of the two have potential to be a high-end number two receiver but probably never evolve into the true number one status. This, however, does not make them any less important to each of their respective franchises.
Multiple questions surround the 49ers receiving room. Will Brandon Aiyuk return to full health this season, and if he does, can he get back to his ceiling as an All-Pro? What is the true potential of Ricky Pearsall? The 49ers would be smart to get ahead of this uncertainty, and an extension for Jennings would provide some clarity to the situation and the future.