How Much the 49ers Should Pay Jauan Jennings if He Stays in 2026

The 49ers cannot afford to make a mistake here.

Dec 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

It’s set to be an extremely busy offseason for the San Francisco 49ers.

The organization finished 2025 with a 12–5 record and one playoff win, largely relying on a roster of backup players due to injuries across all three phases.

One player in particular, Jauan Jennings, epitomized that struggle, suffering injuries all year while still producing a career-high touchdown total in red and gold.

49ers front office wants to keep Jauan Jennings

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Jennings' contract puts him as an unrestricted free agent in March.

At the start of the season, he signed a restructured deal with performance incentives and fulfilled nearly all of them.

This will likely be why the 49ers front office wants to keep hold of him, with John Lynch stating: "First of all, let me just speak to Jauan.

"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.”

How much the 49ers should pay Jauan Jennings in 2026

Dec 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) runs to score a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

San Francisco cannot afford to make a mistake here with how much they would pay Jennings.

They cannot afford another Brandon Aiyuk situation, but Jennings proved that when healthy, he's a decent wide receiver.

His numbers were dreadful in the first half of the season, but he improved significantly in the second half, making it difficult to justify a massive payday.

He’s never been a first-option wide receiver, and this season only reinforced that, even with injuries to other 49ers offensive weapons. Apart from George Kittle, he’s the only world-class weapon on the roster.

The 49ers should pay Jennings a maximum of $12–15 million per year. He isn’t worth more than that. They shouldn’t bow to any demands if he expects more.

As seen in training camp this past season, he held out until he got what he wanted, and it showed early in the season that he was playing catch-up, prioritizing money over the team.