Former Tennessee receiver Jauan Jennings had one of the most noteworthy plays of the NFL divisional round last weekend and in classic Jauan Jennings fashion, it didn’t include him catching a pass.
Jennings and Green Bay Packers’ star corner Jaire Alexander were tangled up in a physical play as Jennings blocked Alexander all the way into the Gatorade jugs on the Packers’ sideline. The play quickly went viral as the Fox broadcast highlighted it immediately.
Jauan Jennings is a menace 😳 pic.twitter.com/LD1XwTydRJ
— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2024
San Fransisco head coach Kyle Shanahan discussed the play earlier this week and how it isn’t anything out of the ordinary for Jennings. In fact, Jennings angered 49er defenders last season with the ferocity he blocked with in practice.
“What he did on that— taking the guy into the Gatorade— that’s what he does every play out at practice,” Shanahan said. “Our defense tried to fight him all last year because they thought he was going above and beyond and then the next day in the meeting I had to show them what he does every single play and say it’s not personal. This is just how he blocks. He stops after the whistle. He just drives into people. He puts his hands and face into people and never stops and when it’s over he usually goes back to the huddle. But usually people take it personal, but it’s not personal. It’s just what he does.”
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Shanahan’s comments are no surprise to Tennessee fans who watched Jennings break onto the scene in Knoxville as an elite special teams player before proving to be an elite blocking and run after catcher receiver later in his career. Jennings has been a perfect fit on a San Fransisco offense that prioritizes blocking and physicality thanks to its strong run game.
But Jennings didn’t only help the 49ers by blocking in their win over the Packers. The former Tennessee standout had five catches for 61 yards after star receiver Deebo Samuel suffered an injury in the first half. Perhaps Jennings’ biggest catch came on this fourth quarter third-and-long as the 49ers trailed.
Purdy and Jauan Jennings coming up clutch on 3rd down
📺: #GBvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/yDUx5ZutVa pic.twitter.com/ZbXD1VkZRM— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
Over the course of the 2023-24 regular season, Jennings caught 19 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown. Jennings and the 49ers are looking to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl on Sunday when they face the Detroit Lions in San Fransisco.
