Jauan Jennings
Getty
The 49ers got a mixed bag of injury updates on wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Jacob Cowing
The San Francisco 49ers are pretty beat up heading into the 2025 campaign, which isn’t what fans want to hear after their 2024 season was destroyed by injuries. One spot in particular that has been hit quite hard is the wide receiver room, with head coach Kyle Shanahan providing a pair of injury updates on Jauan Jennings and Jacob Cowing recently.
It was always going to be a bit risky for the Niners to trade Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders this offseason, but with several wide receivers on the mend, it could end up backfiring right out of the gate. When discussing Jennings and Cowing, Shanahan offered a mixed bag that may not ease the concerns of fans.
Kyle Shanahan Provides Injury Updates on Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing
A quick look at San Francisco’s depth chart shows that Jennings, Cowing, Brandon Aiyuk, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, and Russell Gage Jr. are all dealing with ailments currently. Of this group, Jennings seems to have the best shot of suiting up and making a real impact in Week 1, but his status is a bit complicated.
Throughout training camp, Jennings has been dealing with a calf injury, but that may not be the reason he’s not on the field for the 49ers. Before the start of camp, Jennings made it clear that he either wanted a new deal from San Fran or a trade to a team that would give him one. To this point, he hasn’t gotten either of those things, which could be why he isn’t practicing.
Cowing, on the other hand, is a fourth-round rookie who appeared set to have a real shot at earning a role on offense to start the season. However, according to Shanahan, Cowing is set to miss a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. As for Jennings, Shanahan provided a murky update on his calf injury, but he did say he is expecting him to be on the field come Week 1.
“A while,” Shanahan said when asked how long Cowing would be out for. “He pulled it fully. It was the same one. They told me like six weeks to start.”
When asked about whether Jennings could miss Week 1, Shanahan said, “If it doesn’t heal, yes. But I expect him to be back, I think he should be back from it, but you never know with calves.”
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers Hoping Jauan Jennings Can Suit Up for Week 1
Kyle Shanahan
GettyHead coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.
With Aiyuk set to miss the first few weeks of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL and MCL, the 49ers are hoping that Jennings can step up and fill his void. To this point, though, his absence at practice has forced second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall into the spotlight, with Robinson working as the No. 2 option. However, Robinson picked up a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, meaning he won’t be available for the start of the season either.
It’s a tough spot for Shanahan to be in, as the team is desperately trying to find wide receiver help. They recently swung a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for Skyy Moore, but it’s fair to wonder if that’s enough to get them through the start of the season. Jennings’ Week 1 status is a real question mark, but it’s clear that the Niners could desperately use him with all their other injuries at wide receiver.