Former Tennessee receiver Jauan Jennings finally got the contract he was looking for on Wednesday. The San Fransisco 49ers resigned their reliable third receiver to a two-year contract extension that pays him a minimum of $10.5 million and up to $15.4 million, ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported.
Jennings has been a reliable third receiver for the 49ers over the last three years combining to catch 78 passes for 963 yards and five touchdowns.
Behind stars Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, the former Tennessee standout has created a role by being a dominant perimeter blocker for San Fransisco’s stout run game as well as a reliable third down threat. San Fransisco has nicknamed Jennings “Third-and-Jauan” for his success as a third down target.
That showed up in the 49ers run to the Super Bowl. Jennings caught six passes for 61 yards including a handful of integral third down conversions in San Fransisco’s divisional round win over Green Bay. Jennings then turned in one of the best games of his career in the Super Bowl when he caught five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown on top of throwing a touchdown pass on a trick play.
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San Fransisco selected Jennings in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft and the physical receiver spent his rookie season on the practice squad and not on the roster at all. But the 49ers signed him again after his rookie season. Jennings grabbed a role and ran with it starting in the 2021 season.
In a physical run offense, Jennings’ physical and selfless nature as a player make him a perfect fit as San Fransisco’s third receiver.
A Blackman High School standout in Murfreesboro, Jennings played five seasons as Tennessee. His sophomore and redshirt senior seasons were the best after an injury sidelined him for the entirety of his junior season and he was slow to get back into a groove the ensuing season.
Jennings caught 40 passes for 508 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016 and caught 59 passes for 969 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019. Playing with an undeniable ferocity and a knack for making big plays, Jennings became a fan favorite in his college career. Those same qualities have made him a fan favorite in San Fransisco despite him playing in a smaller role.
