Reports across the league indicated San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings requested a trade or a raise, but head coach Kyle Shanahan is downplaying that storyline. During a recent appearance with the press, Shanahan said that Jennings has not officially requested a trade, although he is unhappy with his current contract.
Kyle Shanahan: Jauan Jennings Never Requested A Trade
The Jauan Jennings trade request (or lack thereof) will likely be a storyline throughout the remainder of training camp. While Jennings won’t hold out for a new deal, it’s easy to see why he believes he deserves a raise. Signing a modest two-year, $11.89 million contract before the 2024 season, the former seventh-round pick had a career season. Appearing in 15 games, Jennings finished the season with career-best marks in targets (113), receptions (77), yards (975), and touchdowns (six).
With Brandon Aiyuk returning from a torn ACL and Deebo Samuel in Washington, Jennings will likely be the top wide receiver on the depth chart in 2025. While first-round pick Ricky Pearsall will challenge for that role, Jauan Jennings has the trust of the coaching staff and quarterback Brock Purdy.
Chances are, the San Francisco 49ers won’t trade Jauan Jennings, but they could revise his contract to give him some incentive-based pay raises. Depending on the structure of these incentives, they may not even impact the 2025 salary cap.
On the off chance the 49ers trade Jauan Jennings, San Francisco will still have enough receiving options on the field. In addition to Pearsall, tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey can handle a high target share when on the field.
Main Photo: Matt Kartozian – Imagn Images
