With Brandon Aiyuk’s bizarre contract situation and Ricky Pearsall’s teetering availability due to injuries, Jauan Jennings somehow was the most stable and consistent available receiver for the 49ers this season.
This after some early season contract specifications that needed to be sorted between Jennings’ camp and San Francisco, but after that, it was all about football for the 28-year-old.
And now, the 49ers’ brass hopes to reward Jennings and bring him back next season and beyond.
“First of all, let me just speak to Jauan,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters during Wednesday’s end-of-season exit interviews. “Gosh, man, the passion that guy plays the game with is something I admire and always have. And this year was no different. He dealt with a lot of injuries throughout the course of the year, but Jauan always plays with a passion. We can always count on Jauan. We can move him around. He blocks, he does the little things. You can see by the way the other players respond. He plays the right way and I think it frustrates other people.
“He makes us better. We’d love to have him back. We’ll go to work to try to get that accomplished and we’ll see where that goes.”
Jennings, who has played his five NFL seasons with the 49ers, will enter the free-agent market in mid-March.
After some back and forth, Jennings did not reach an agreement on a contract extension with San Francisco before the start of the 2025 campaign, but rather both sides agreed on a restructured final year of his contract.
Through 15 games this season, Jennings caught 55 passes for 643 yards and nine touchdowns.
Amid a season of change and adversity, Jennings was a stable force for San Francisco.
But he might have played his final snap in red and gold. For now, though, Lynch and Co. will do everything in their power to ensure that isn’t a reality.
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