Former Vols WR Jauan Jennings got a lot richer on Saturday despite finishing with only 35 receiving yards in 49ers' loss to Seahawks

Jennings finished the 2025 regular season with 55 receptions for 643 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games.

Why did Jauan Jennings have such a lucrative "playtime incentive"?

Jennings' lucrative "playtime incentive" was the result of his contract standoff with the 49ers this past summer.

The former Vol is slated to be a free agent when the new league year begins in March. Jennings wanted a contract extension with the 49ers before the 2025 season, but San Francisco was unwilling to give him one.

Eventually, the two sides settled on a contract modification that included $3 million worth of incentives for Jennings, potentially raising his pay from $7.5 million to $10.5 million (which he will now reach if he plays 35 snaps in the playoffs).

The contract standoff between Jennings -- who missed some time during training camp/preseason with a nagging injury -- and the 49ers got intense late last summer.

According to The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami, just before the start of the 2025 season the 49ers threatened to put Jennings on IR or deactivate him for “several games” if he didn’t return to practice.

“Along the way, the 49ers tacitly or outright threatened to put Jennings on injured reserve (which could’ve wiped away a lot of bonus money) or deactivate him for several games,” wrote Kawakami. “Or they could’ve suspended him if he refused to return to practice after they decided his injury had healed.”

The 49ers may be more inclined to extend Jennings with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk seemingly unlikely to return in 2026.

It'll be interesting to see if Jennings lands a new deal with the 49ers or if he tests the open market once free agency opens next spring.

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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Nashville section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.