It started with a heated exchange on the sidelines. And it continued throughout the week with a team reportedly interested in trading for him.
This is Jauan Jennings. The San Francisco 49ers receiver has had a good year. He wanted a new contract, then a trade, and decided to bet on himself in 2025 with an incentive deal.
Then he got injured, which affected his availability. Factor in Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk dealing with injuries of their own, and the 49ers couldn’t get Kendrick Bourne on the field fast enough.
In Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jennings had a single catch for seven yards on three targets. The last time he was targeted three times or fewer was in Week 13 of the 2023 season. Meanwhile, Bourne’s last three-target game came in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints – the game he was urgently recalled for after injuries hit the receiving corps.
It feels like Bourne does a lot of what Jennings could do. The Buccaneers game also had a heated exchange on the sidelines between Jennings and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan called it a “competitive” conversation, but would not elaborate. Jennings also didn’t provide many details after the game. Speculation surrounding the trade centered on Jennings’ potential frustration with its usage.
“If he doesn’t get the calls,” former 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young said, via KNBR. In my mind, the last thing you want to do with Kyle (Shanahan) is complain and complain, especially in public.
It seemed like it might have been swept under the rug until a report surfaced that the New York Giants were calling about a Jennings trade. Ryan Dunleavy New York Post reported Wednesday that Jennings was a name “reported to be available.” Note that Jennings was on the roster with wide receivers like Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins and Jakobi Meyers of the Los Angeles Raiders, so there was nothing that singled out Jennings like the 49ers making him around.
Rookie Jordan Watkins could suit up Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons now that Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been placed on IR. Watkins showed promise in the preseason, but was unable to fight the injury bug to get on the field. Now he has his chance, and the 49ers have a season to let young players get their feet wet, which could make Jennings more available. Jennings’ value in the locker room cannot be understated — teammates and coaches often praise his toughness and blocking ability, making his move less of a simple deep call.
By combining Watkins with Bourne, a return of Pearsall, and a (possible) return of Aiyuk, Jennings’ availability in a trade could at least be increased, allowing the 49ers to make the calls rather than receive them.
Jennings played with five broken ribs, with all the chatter surrounding him, would he still want to play them if his days with the 49ers are numbered?
