Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady has seen a lot of football in his day.
That’s why it’s hard to not perk up when the seven-time Super Bowl winner mentions a former Tennessee Vol as one of the most underrated players in the NFL.
During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd this week to preview the upcoming San Francisco-Tampa Bay game on Sunday, Brady gave high praise to former Tennessee standout and fan-favorite Jauan Jennings.
While discussing quarterback Brock Purdy’s offensive weapons for Saturday, Brady called the former Vol one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL.
“Then at receiver, obviously losing Aiyuk is a brutal loss but they drafted [Ricky] Pearsall in the first round, he’s going to get his legs underneath him,” Brady said. “You’ve still got [Jauan] Jennings, who to me is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL.”
Brady didn’t just name-drop Jennings in a sporadic thought, either. He continued on to praise the former Vol.
“Performed so well in the Super Bowl,” Brady said of Jennings. “They have a ton of confidence in him.”
Jennings and the 49ers defeated Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 11, 2022. The Niners won the game by a score of 35-7 and while Jennings only snagged one reception on the night (San Francisco used the running game more frequently after a 28-0 lead at halftime), he still had the chance to get a signed jersey from the future Hall of Famer after the game.
Jauan Jennings 🤝 Tom Brady #49ers || #FTTB pic.twitter.com/seOIxtQjCo
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) December 12, 2022
More from RTI: NFL Vols: How Former Tennessee Players Performed in Week Nine of the NFL Season
Jennings has racked up 404 yards and three touchdowns on 25 receptions this season but is far more valuable to the Niners’ offense than any stat could show. Jennings isn’t the reception machine that, say, Deebo Samuel is, but the former Vol has carved out a role of being a big-bodied, physical, reliable receiver that can power over any defensive back slacking off on any given play.
With the number of injuries San Francisco has had to offensive weapons this year, Jennings’ value has risen even more as, like Brady said, one of the most underrated receivers in the league.
Jennings was drafted in the seventh round out of the University of Tennessee in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 49ers will head to Florida to take on Tampa Bay this Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Tom Brady will be on the call.
Check out the full clip from The Herd with Colin Cowherd below:
