Why the 49ers Should Not Extend Jauan Jennings 

The finish line to the offseason was a measly few steps away for the San Francisco 49ers.

They were so close to having a fully drama-free offseason, and then Jauan Jennings demanded a contract extension. If the 49ers do not oblige, Jennings would like to be traded. Here we go again.

It was too good to be true for a fully peaceful offseason. Sure enough, right when training camp is close to beginning, Jennings does this out of the blue. 

However, Jennings’ demands shouldn’t be all that surprising. He’s entering the last year of his deal, which is $7.5 million. It makes sense to want security and a pay raise after the performance he put on in 2024.

Plus, he just saw three other key players get extended in May. Of course, he wants an extension as well. But that is something the 49ers mustn’t grant him. 

The 49ers should not extend Jennings. I get why anyone would want the 49ers to extend him. I wrote about why the 49ers should do it in a previous article. 

But I don’t think the 49ers will do it, nor should they. 

Jennings is a luxury the 49ers cannot afford. The wide receiver position may be a question mark, but what isn’t a question mark are the heavy investments they’ve already made at the position. 

Brandon Aiyuk is one who they regrettably cashed out. Ricky Pearsall is the second heavy investment since he’s a first-round pick.

Then there is Jacob Cowing, rookie Jordan Watkins, and even Demarcus Robinson. The 49ers have made their investments and have to see if they are going to hit their return on the majority of them. 

Jennings is just too much of a luxury. Not to mention that he’s probably not going to have the same numbers and impact as last year.

The main reason Jennings flourished in 2024 was because Christian McCaffrey and Aiyuk went down due to injuries. He was never getting those opportunities with both of them healthy. 

In fact, he’s probably not getting them with just one. Both will be back in 2025, although Aiyuk will probably miss the first month of the season. 

Nevertheless, he will be back and involved, as well as a projected increased role for Ricky Pearsall. Jennings is a solid player, but his cost will be a luxury to the 49ers when he’s not going to have the same season as he did in 2024. 

Speaking of cost, what kind of pay raise is he looking for?

This year, he’s making $7.5 million, so a 50 percent annual increase would be doable for the 49ers to put him around $12 million. That’s one that you can consider. 

Anything more than that would be absurd. Still, I don’t believe the 49ers will oblige at that fair price, and I wouldn’t blame them. 

The 49ers have a ton of money tied up in their offense already. Those cap hits will come due, especially with Brock Purdy’s deal. 

Another way to look at it, the 49ers don’t need to cash out another receiver. What they really need their money for is the offensive line. 

Isn’t that what the main gripe is about with the 49ers this offseason? That they didn’t invest in the offensive line? 

After this season, when Jennings comes off the books, the 49ers can use the money that would’ve gone towards him and invest in an offensive lineman.

The 49ers will likely need to do that because it’s a complete toss-up if Trent Williams will be back. You can say the same about Colton McKivitz, who will be a free agent after the 2025 season. 

The 49ers can’t fully address the offensive line in the draft, so free agency is a likely avenue. Jennings is valid for seeking an extension and deserves one, but the reality is he’s too much of a luxury now. 

He should play out the final year of his deal and find a new team next March.