49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings is creating some surprising buzz on the trade block. He’s following the example of fellow tight end Jonnu Smith, who just requested a trade from the Miami Dolphins after failing to get them to give him a new deal. With training camp opening next week, Jennings is looking to make some moves. If the two sides can’t come to an acceptable arrangement, he intends to explore a trade.
Jennings ranked 10th in yards per route run last season, with a great average of 2.51 yards. As a cherry on top, he crazy-ably dropped just one pass all season long. In addition to his $3 million in signing bonuses, he’ll officially incur at least $4.258 million against the salary cap. This figure is the last year of the two-year, $15.39 million extension he signed last offseason. His situation is very similar to what Brandon Aiyuk faced last summer. Unlike today, back then, the receiver successfully lobbied either for a pay increase or a trade.
Shanahan has plenty of confidence in Jennings, calling the wideout one of the best blocking wideouts in the league. This recognition reflects Jennings’ value to the team, particularly given his performance in the previous season, where he achieved career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
The front office is clearly enamored with Jennings’ upside. According to one source with knowledge of the situation, contract negotiations toward a new deal have stagnated. The 49ers signed Jennings through 2025 last year and said they’ve been more than fair in how they’ve treated Jennings so far. The speedy Aiyuk will make almost $25 million this year after signing an extension late in August. For starters, Jennings really does not like the way his contract situation is unfolding.
The parallel between Jennings’ current predicament and Aiyuk’s previous scenario is obvious. Like Aiyuk last year, he has been making some noise about a new deal. This immediately led to a storm of speculation about his future with the organization. Jennings finds himself in a comparable place. Second, to the extent that he’s using this as leverage, he can decide to look for greener pastures if negotiations fall through.
It seems Jennings is going to show up at training camp without holding out. If sources are to be believed, he may not be entirely happy with his lot. His state-by-state approach would mirror Smith’s closely. Smith had asked the Dolphins for a better deal, but got one-year, $12 million extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers after requesting a trade.
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