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The Minnesota Vikings had a deal in place with the San Francisco 49ers for Jauan Jennings before the player decided he didn’t want to return to the Bay Area. As a result, any team looking for receiver help is likely calling Minnesota for the veteran.
Jennings hasn’t produced much in the passing game, as he has had 6 catches for 54 yards in 6 games this season, per StatMuse. With the trade deadline nearing in a few days on Nov. 10, it will be interesting to see if the Vikings decide to keep him or have another deal in place to move Jennings.
What team could be in the mix for the veteran? Kansas City Chiefs on SI’s Jordan Foote put together a list of realistic wide receiver trade targets for the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the deadline, and one of them is Jennings.
“Former San Francisco 49ers standout Jauan Jennings was a hot commodity entering this past offseason,” Foote wrote in a Nov. 6 article. “Many folks in Chiefs circles wanted the club to take a swing on him, but it’s safe to say he hasn’t lived up to the one-year, $8M deal he inked with the Minnesota Vikings.
“It’s clear that things weren’t panning out in Minnesota, so much so that there was nearly a deal to send Jennings back to San Fran as the calendar flipped from October to November.”
Why Jauan Jennings Has Struggled With the Vikings
Moreover, Foote issued an explanation as to why Jennings has struggled in Minnesota, noting that the Vikings could be putting him in a position on the field where he won’t be as effective.
“One contributing factor for Jennings’ struggles could be his alignment,” Foote added in his article. “He’s spent 59.5% of his time in the slot, his highest mark since 2023. That’s enabled him to be more of a post-catch threat, but his ideal role seems to be more in line with the one he held in his old stomping grounds.
“That doesn’t fit with what Kansas City typically opts for, in this writer’s view, even with just $3.3M being due in the event of a trade.”
Donte Whitner Doesn’t Hold Back on Jauan Jennings
Meanwhile, former 49ers safety Donte Whitner didn’t hold back his thoughts when talking about Jennings’ decision to remain with the Vikings and reject the opportunity to return to the Bay Area for a second stint.
“Jauan Jennings declined a trade back to the San Francisco 49ers,” Whitner said in a Nov. 5 video from the “Grit Code Podcast.” “Good. Let him stay his a– over there in Minnesota. Keep getting your one catch per game because here’s something about the NFL that every player understands: Production equals reward, and when the production stops, those paychecks start getting questioned.
“You can’t live off what you did yesterday, buddy. This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business. If you keep putting up those numbers, eventually Minnesota’s going to cut ties with you because at some point, they’re going to realize they’re paying a wide receiver money for a guy putting up backup tight end numbers.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo