49ers’ underrated offensive piece makes risky bet on himself — and becomes San Francisco’s latest test of how deep 2025 changes really run

Jennings has been a productive role player for the 49ers over the past several seasons but injuries elevated his role and he enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024. Jennings set career highs in targets (113), receptions (77), yards (975), receiving touchdowns (6), and yards per target (8.6). 

He received a fresh contract from San Francisco last offseason for two new years and $15.39 million in total value and is now set to enter into the final year of that extended contract. He had previously been assigned a restricted free agent tender for the 2024 season. Jennings has been a productive talent but in a wide receiver room that featured Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and an offense that boasted Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, he'd struggled to find the opportunities to showcase what he was capable of as a talent.

And now, understandably, with a career year in the books, Jennings is hoping to parlay his successes into more long-term security and compensation that better aligns with his production last year. The 49ers bid farewell to Samuel this offseason, trading him to Washington. It was just a single piece of what has been a robust offseason of change for the 49ers. 

How deep does the change of 2025 run for the 49ers?

The interesting thing will be to now see if the new change in San Francisco extends to how they do business with frustrated talent. In years past, these players have generally gotten the extensions they've been looking for. Will Jennings join that club and assume the elevated wide receiver role he appears destined for with Aiyuk returning from injury and Samuel out of the picture? 

Jennings turned 28 years old last week and has watched the middle class of wide receivers across the NFL skyrocket past his earnings marks. Jennings will make $7.5 million on the last year of his current deal — which ranks 39th among NFL receivers. It's less than Tutu Atwell will make with the Rams, Josh Palmer will make with the Bills, and Dyami Brown will make with the Jaguars in 2025. Brown has 200 less receiving yards in four seasons than Jennings had last season. 

He's right to desire a new deal. But how the 49ers proceed here from will be telling amid their sweeping changes of this offseason to see if this will instead be business as usual.