Finally, the 49ers found a resolution with Jauan Jennings, although this resolution might be only temporary.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers have agreed to give Jennings a modest raise this year that could pay him up to $10.5 million if he hits certain performance-based incentives. Previously, he was scheduled to earn $7.5 million, which means the 49ers tacked on $3 million in incentives to his original deal. Which means Jennings is happy. For now.
Giving Jennings a raise in the form of performance-based incentives protects the 49ers in case Jennings gets injured and missed a significant amount of time. Remember, he had a calf injury in minicamp and training camp, and calf injuries can lead to Achilles injuries. Ask Christian McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw.
Meanwhile, Jennings is betting on himself. He must figure that if he stays healthy, he’ll produce similar numbers as he did last season. And I can see why he would feel that way. He’s a terrific receiver who’s in the middle of his prime. He might be ascending still.
But the 49ers are a different team than they were a year ago. Back then, Jennings got a ton of targets because the 49ers had no one else to throw to. Now, he’ll have to share targets with lots of players.
Barring injury, Ricky Pearsall will get 100 targets, George Kittle will get 100 targets, Christian McCaffrey will get 80 targets, Demarcus Robinson will get at least 40 targets after he returns from suspension, and Brandon Aiyuk could get more than 50 when he eventually returns from his knee injury. He seems on track to return by midseason at the latest.
So where does that leave Jennings? The 49ers could feature him heavily early in the season while Aiyuk and Robinson are out. But when Aiyuk in particular comes back, Jennings could lose his starting spot. Because Aiyuk is a starter no matter what, and Pearsall just might surpass Jennings on the depth chart this year. Pearsall was outstanding in training camp while Jennings was missing in action.
It will be interesting to see what happens if Jennings gets demoted to WR3 midseason. In that case, he probably won’t be able to reach his incentives, which could make him upset once again. The 49ers will have to balance keeping him happy with doing what’s best for the team.
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