Projecting Whether Jauan Jennings will Return to the 49ers in Free Agency

Is this the right move?

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) takes the field before the game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Jauan Jennings is one of the biggest names on the San Francisco 49ers entering free agency this offseason.

The 49ers face tough decisions this offseason, with Jennings one of 21 players entering free agency. Whether he returns to San Francisco remains to be seen.

"Jennings, 28, could benefit as San Francisco is expected to move on from Brandon Aiyuk, who missed 2025 recovering from a major knee injury," wrote Auman.

FOX Reporter Greg Auman suggests finances could decide Jennings' future

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

Jennings is projected to earn between $17–20 million per year in free agency, a deal that would mark the largest payday of his career.

Let’s not forget that Jennings held out during training camp last season in search of a bigger payday. He ultimately agreed to performance incentives and, by and large, met the expectations he set with the front office.

"The 49ers' receiving corps has underwhelmed — Jennings has 15 touchdown catches over the last two seasons, but he also totaled 643 yards this season on 90 targets, ranking 55th among NFL receivers in yards/target," wrote Auman.

"If he's getting more than $20 million a year, could he price himself out of San Francisco's budget?"

Still, the production he ultimately delivered doesn’t justify a salary north of $20 million per year. To some extent, his ceiling may have been limited by injuries, as he played through broken ribs and other significant injuries throughout the season.

Jennings may deserve more money, but the 49ers need an explosive reciever

Dec 14, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) celebrates scoring a touchdown against Tennessee Titans during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The 49ers are extremely limited at wide receiver heading into 2026. There isn’t a clear-cut option that can consistently generate explosive plays.

It could be argued that they wouldn't have had this problem if Brandon Aiyuk turned up and cared. But as John Lynch expects he's already played his last snap, they now need to start over and find a younger player who can ultimately make a difference.

Jennings posted career-best seasons in 2024 and 2025, reinforcing just how valuable he is to the 49ers. Still, if he wants to remain in San Francisco, he may have to accept a more complementary role. Whether he’s willing to take a team-friendly deal is ultimately up to him — but such a move would benefit the 49ers tremendously.

If not, the 49ers may simply move on. There are plenty of teams with cap space that could make a competitive offer. And if that happens, Kyle Shanahan will have turned a seventh-round pick into a legitimate WR1 elsewhere.