What the 49ers could get for trading Jauan Jennings before the deadline

The deadline is a week away.

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It's no secret that Jauan Jennings doesn't want to play for the 49ers anymore.

He formally requested a trade during the offseason when the 49ers refused to give him the contract extension he wanted. Then he missed almost all of training camp with a calf injury, which means he wasn't in football shape when the season began.

Now, Jenning has just 18 catches for 212 yards and 1 touchdown in 6 games, and the 49ers' quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 38.0 when targeting him. For comparison, their passer rating would be 39.6 if they simply threw the ball into the dirt on every play.

Which means the 49ers would be better off without Jennings at this point. He was an outstanding receiver for them in the Super Bowl and last season, but now his heart clearly isn't in Santa Clara anymore. So what could the 49ers get for Jennings in a trade?

Assessing Jennings' trade value

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Jennings was a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver in 2024. But in 2023, he caught just 19 passes. Granted, he was behind Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel on the depth chart. Still, Jennings has just one season of starter-level production in his career. And he never has eclipsed 1,000 yards in a season. Not even in college.

What's more, Jennings was a seventh-round pick and he runs a 4.7 40-yard dash when he's fully healthy, which he isn't right now. He currently is playing through ankle, rib and shoulder injuries, which is partially why he's playing so poorly.

In addition, Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk are supposed to return soon from injuries, so Jennings won't even be a starter for the 49ers much longer.

Finally, Jennings' contract will expire at the end of the season. So any team that trades for Jennings also will have to compete to sign him in the offseason when he's an unrestricted free agent.

All of this means that Jennings is a slow, injured, redundant, disgruntled rental who might be just as unhappy on his next team if the 49ers were to trade him before the deadline.

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Still, when Jennings is healthy and motivated, he is one of the best receivers in the league when it comes to blocking and making contested catches. And he has been a big weapon on third down for his entire career.

Perhaps another team feels it can motivate Jennings and bring out his joy and passion for the sport once again. Particularly a team such as the New York Giants that desperately needs a wide receiver and could give Jennings as many targets as he can handle.

I'm guessing the 49ers could get no more than a fifth-round pick for Jennings if they were to trade him next week before the Nov. 4 deadline. Or, the 49ers could trade him and a fourth-round pick to the Giants for former first-round edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is under contract through 2026.

The 49ers probably would prefer to get a player in return for Jennings, considering virtually all of their pass rusher are currently injured.

The 49ers have seven days to find someone to take Jennings off their hands.