49ers News: What Jauan Jennings’ extension means for the WR room

The San Francisco 49ers announced news of a receiver extension this week, re-signing Jauan Jennings to a two-year contract worth up to $15.4 million, including $10.5 million guaranteed.

Jennings, a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, had become the team’s starting receiver over the past two seasons, catching 19 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in 2023.

He had a highlight game in the Super Bowl, catching four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for his own score, but the 49ers lost 25-22.

Now that Jennings is locked up until 2025, what does this mean for Brandon Aiyuk and the rest of the 49ers wide receiver room?

Why an extension?

A few were surprised by the 49ers’ choice to extend Jennings, given that the team drafted Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 pick and the slot receiver was expected to play on the second-round tender tour worth $4.9 million this season.

But the extension is well justified, as that $7-8 million annual range is the going rate today for No. 3 receivers. You may remember that Kendrick Bourne signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the New England Patriots to become their slot receiver a few offseasons ago.

Jennings has been a crucial part of the 49ers offense, both as a blocker, where his tenacity helped shape the team’s identity, and as a third-down receiving weapon, where he has been extremely reliable for move the channels.

The production in box scoring may not be there, as Jennings caught 19 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in 2023 after racking up 35 catches for 416 yards and a touchdown in 2022.

But the value to the team was there, which is why the 49ers apparently made a Jennings extension a priority this offseason, making it happen early in OTAs.

The extension will keep Jennings in San Francisco until his age 28 season, and he could end up being a more central part of the offense as the years go by with potential changes coming with skill level players.

Admittedly, I wasn’t sure the 49ers would be the team to pay Jennings, given that he had good value on his original contract for 2024 and that the team had drafted not one, but two wideouts in from the last draft.

But he will now be part of the team’s future, and his cap hit could even decrease this season, depending on how the 49ers structure his contract.

Implications for the WR room

Locking up Jennings means one of the 49ers has a pretty secure future over the next few seasons.

But what does this mean for Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and the rest of the receiver room?

For Aiyuk, this deal means next to nothing, since he and Jennings play completely different roles on offense, while the 49ers have remained convinced that an extension is their top priority. Additionally, they acknowledged that Aiyuk playing on the fifth-year option would be the pick if an extension isn’t reached one way or another, meaning he’s not going anywhere.

Ultimately, I expect the 49ers to provide Aiyuk with a significant receiver extension, keeping him as the team’s top option for the next few seasons.

Behind that is where things get complicated.

Initially, when the 49ers drafted Ricky Pearsall, it was unclear whether they viewed him better as a slot option or more on the outside, where he played in college. Pearsall’s ability to beat man coverage was a key factor, but it also looked like he could translate inside better with his skillset.

Now, it appears San Francisco is considering Pearsall as an outside option with Jennings locked into the slot, clouding Deebo Samuel’s future.

Samuel will be a 49er, it appears, in 2024 after the team failed to find an enticing deal in the draft that would have made them better this season. But, beyond that, the 49ers might have a hard time justifying keeping Samuel and Aiyuk on the roster with high salaries, which leaves next offseason as an inflection point.

San Francisco deliberately chose not to touch Samuel’s contract this offseason, giving them more flexibility to move his contract to 2025, when he will sign a one-year deal.

With the investment in Pearsall, as well as Jennings’ recent extension, it appears the odd man out going forward could be Samuel, depending on the team’s cap situation and asset strategy.

Looking further down the roster, it appears San Francisco will have Jacob Cowing in a reserve role early on, with Jennings solidified as the slot moving forward.

I initially expected Cowing to reprise the role of Ray-Ray McCloud, which very well could be the case, perhaps better suiting him for special teams work early in his career.

But the opportunities should still be there, as McCloud has still seen the field extensively in 2023 in various roles.

Overall, though, the 49ers gave Jennings a guaranteed two-year extension, keeping part of their receiver core intact for the foreseeable future. This gives the team some stability as it navigates some difficult waters when dealing with contracts over the next 12 months.