San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch
Getty
San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch
The NFL’s free agency window will officially kick off at 4 p.m. ET on March 11th, which means that the San Francisco 49ers could be on the cusp of losing a couple of significant contributors to new teams. One of those significant contributors could be veteran wide receiver Jauan Jennings. The 28-year-old caught a career-high nine touchdowns last season.
Despite having one of his best seasons as a role player in the Bay Area, the soon-to-be free agent may not end up performing so well on his next contract. In fact, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes that Jennings will be one of the league’s top free-agent busts.
San Francisco 49ers Not Interested in Re-Signing Jauan Jennings
San Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings
GettyJauan Jennings is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career.
After six seasons in the Bay Area, Jennings is likely to be on a new team this offseason. However, if a new team decides to pay up for him, there is a chance that the former Tennessee Volunteer may not be worth it. Here is what Davenport had to say about Jennings potentially becoming a free-agent bust:
“Jennings is a good player, but he isn’t a great one. He doesn’t have great speed. He isn’t a big-bodied red-zone target who is going to win a lot of 50/50 balls. He’s not a difference-maker. He’s certainly not a No. 1 wide receiver.”
Davenport also went on to mention that there is a reason why the 49ers do not want to pay Jennings major money, mentioning that he is a mid-tier No. 2 wide receiver or strong No. 3 option at best. Paying him $20 million per year simply isn’t worth it.
How the 49ers Can Replace Jauan Jennings
John Lynch
Getty49ers GM John Lynch will look to keep his team in Super Bowl contention this offseason.
While Jennings did catch nine touchdowns in 2025, it isn’t as if he performed like an All-Pro. He caught 55 passes for 643 yards. The best season of his career came in 2024 when he reeled in 75 catches for 975 yards, along with six scores. At best, as Davenport noted, he is a middle-of-the-pack No. 2 wide receiver based on his production.
So, how can the Niners replace him if he decides to move on? If they are interested in filling his role with a veteran player, they could take advantage of their near-$38 million in cap space. A potentially cheaper option in free agency could be a familiar receiver like Deebo Samuel, who could be looking to return to Santa Clara in the right situation.
Furthermore, Lynch could be interested in drafting a wide receiver with one of the team’s six picks inside the first four rounds of the NFL Draft. A talented prospect such as Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. could be an option.
With the team likely losing former 1,000-yard receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a new team in addition to Jennings, it will be fascinating to see how the 49ers’ front office attacks the rebuilding of the wide receiver room. That could be the deciding factor on how 2026 goes for the franchise.