The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of training camp, with their first preseason game coming up on Saturday against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium.
One player who will not be participating is wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who remains out due to a calf injury he strained, which has kept him on the sidelines over the last few days.
Jennings notably also requested a contract extension earlier this offseason, seeking long-term security as he enters the final year of the two-year, $11.89 million deal he signed last offseason.
The 28-year-old wide receiver had his best season in 2024, catching 77 passes for 975 yards and six touchdowns as San Francisco’s lead wide receiver with Brandon Aiyuk out. But, the wide receiver market has continued to trend upwards, and Jennings is looking to cash in as he enters his prime.
What’s the latest on Jennings with both his contract and injury situation?
“Jauan’s working with our health and performance staff, trying to get back out on the field,” general manager Lynch shared on KNBR Thursday. “Jauan got his calf in the offseason, strained it, and calves can kind of linger, unfortunately. And came out, practiced some, and wasn’t feeling great, and so we’ve kind of put him off to the side.
“But Jauan’s working hard, like he always does. Don’t have any timetable, but we’ll see. Looking forward to getting J.J., as we call him, out there on the field. He’s such a big part of who we are and what we want to be. Eager to get him back, but won’t do it until he’s ready.”
Of course, it’s natural to try and tie the two issues together, as it would make sense for Jennings to want a deal in place before returning to the field and risking re-injury. And Lynch maintained the stance of how important Jennings is to the 49ers, reaffirming the team’s desire to have him around.
“We keep that stuff behind the scenes, but Jauan’s a big part of who we are, like I just said,” Lynch said. “I think, if you watch him play, you can see why. When you’re blocking people, and they end up in the Gatorade table, that’s a good thing for us. He kind of embodies a lot of who we want to be, and so, we love having J.J. around here.”
The regular season is coming up in just a month away, so Jennings’s status heading into the season opener will be one to monitor.
The 49ers aren’t expected to play many of their starters on Saturday against the Broncos, so Jennings won’t be missing out on much action this weekend. But, quarterback Brock Purdy did note after practice Thursday that he’d want to be out in action for at least some time over the three preseason games, which will make it important that his supporting cast be present as well.
But, calf strains can be tricky, and it’s clear the 49ers are erring on the side of caution throughout training camp.
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