Wide receiver Jauan Jennings likely made his desires for a contract extension known to the San Francisco 49ers long before news broke of such just days before players were expected to arrive for training camp.
The sudden report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, which also included a trade request if no deal could be reached, is a probable strategy from Jennings' camp to get things moving in one way or another.
There's no doubting how much the Niners value Jennings. Aside from serving as quarterback Brock Purdy's go-to option for 2024, setting a career-best mark with 975 receiving yards, Jennings' feisty personality, aggressive blocking and clutch third-down tendencies are precisely the kind of attributes that help make any offense go from good to great.
At the same time, San Francisco already invested heavily in other wide receivers, namely by giving Brandon Aiyuk his own hefty extension a year ago while also using a 2024 first-round NFL Draft pick on Ricky Pearsall, not to mention back-to-back fourth-rounders on Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins.
As good as Jennings is, it's fair to wonder if he'd be the kind of player worth investing big money in.
Of course, it all depends on what Jennings' asking price is on a new contract. If one projection is correct, the 49ers may have an issue on their hands.
Jauan Jennings' asking price might be too much for 49ers
Both sides have leverage. Jennings knows Aiyuk is returning from last year's ACL and MCL tears, and the likelihood is the latter won't return until at least a few weeks into the regular season. Even then, he might not be 100 percent.
The Niners' next two options on the depth chart, Pearsall and Demarcus Robinson, also come with question marks, namely the latter, who is facing a possible suspension after a DUI arrest last year.
The rest of the room is notably unproven.
However, San Francisco's leverage is simple: Jennings is under contract for 2025, and holding out gets awfully expensive ($50,000 per-day fine for skipping training camp, and the equivalent of one week's pay for any preseason/regular-season game missed).
Spotrac's market-value tool suggests an extension, though, that might be far too much for the 49ers to consider: a two-year deal worth up to $38.14 million -- an annual average of $19.1 million.
With nearly $48 million in available cap space, the Niners can afford such a contract extension. But, in light of the offseason's drastic cash-saving efforts, it's hard to envision the front office giving into yet another player's demands for a hefty payday.
Related story:History shows 49ers won't give into Jauan Jennings' trade demands
Jennings, meanwhile, likely understands his role potentially diminishes upon Aiyuk's return and amid Pearsall's expected maturation, which makes his ask for a new contract fully understandable. It's possible Jennings reverts back to being more of a blocking third-down and red-zone threat in 2025 rather than the No. 1 wideout on the depth chart. Asking now is the best timing.
But, is that something San Francisco wants to honor?
If a team-friendly deal is reached, perhaps one with a lower annual average but relatively high in guaranteed money, maybe that gets the job done.
At the same time, it's not hard to envision this turning into quite the impasse.
Read more from Niner Noise