Jauan Jennings is coming off a career year for the San Francisco 49ers, and it sounds like the 28-year-old wide receiver wants a raise before the upcoming campaign.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday, citing sources, that Jennings “wants a new contract or a trade.” Jennings signed a two-year deal before the 2024 season and will make $7.5 million in 2025, which is the final year of his contract.
Schefter also reports that Jennings has “approached the 49ers” about a new deal but “little progress has been made,” and that if Jennings and the 49ers don’t agree to a contract by the start of training camp next week, he plans to request a trade “to a team willing to pay him.”
The 49ers were in a similar situation with wideout Brandon Aiyuk last year. He ultimately remained in San Francisco after signing a four-year, $120 million extension.
If Jennings ends up asking for a trade, should the Patriots try to make a deal for him?
Jennings had an increased role with the 49ers last season, and Aiyuk’s season-ending ACL tear in Week 7 played a huge part in that.
To Jennings’ credit, he took full advantage of the opportunity and tallied career highs with 77 receptions, 113 targets, 975 yards and six touchdowns. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 13th-best wideout last season based on his 83.1/100 grade.
Before 2024, Jennings had never caught more than 35 passes or tallied more than 416 yards in a single season. But when given the chance to make an impact, Jennings has typically delivered, and Super Bowl LVIII is one example.
Jennings would be the second-best wideout on the Patriots depth chart next season, assuming Stefon Diggs is healthy.
Patriots receivers had a total of 10 receiving touchdowns last season — just four more than Jennings tallied by himself. Jennings, at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, is a physical wideout who can make contested catches over the middle. He also dropped only one pass last season and is considered a strong blocker. He’s ultra-competitive, too. His impressive all-around skill set is something the Patriots would benefit from adding.
The real question surrounding a potential Jennings acquisition is cost. It wouldn’t much make sense for any team to trade for Jennings without signing him to an extension. So, does he want to be paid like a No. 1 or a No. 2 receiver? He’s clearly not a No. 1 wideout, so it wouldn’t make sense to pay him $20-plus million per season on a new deal. A yearly salary between $10-15 million would be more team friendly.
The Patriots currently have about $60 million in salary cap space, per OverTheCap, which is more than any team. So, from a financial perspective, they have the flexibility to make an upgrade at some point. New England also has plenty of draft capital to use in potential trades, including two fourth-round picks, two sixth-round picks and two seventh-round pick in next year’s draft.
Jennings proved last season he can be a reliable target in the passing game, but if you’re asking him to be a No. 1 wideout, you probably won’t have a top 10 offense. Ideally, he’s a very good No. 3 (maybe No. 2) on a contender.
But the Patriots desperately need more talent at wide receiver, and they cannot afford to be too picky. Pro Football Focus ranked every team’s receiving corps last month, and the Patriots came in at No. 31 out of 32 teams. Our Patriots Insider Phil Perry also ranked New England’s playmakers 31st in the NFL entering this season.
And what if Diggs gets hurt or he doesn’t end up being a good fit? The difference in talent between Diggs and the next-best wideout on New England’s roster is substantial.
The Patriots need to surround franchise quarterback Drake Maye with as much talent as possible at the skill positions. If the Patriots could acquire Jennings for a mid-round pick and pay him between $10-15 million per season, that would be a scenario worth considering.
Read the full article here
