Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for them, the San Francisco 49ers made an example out of wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
It's not his fault, rather it's bad timing. After all, in the wake of previously caving to wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in their respective contract extension and/or trade requests, the Niners had enough. Offseason reports indicated the front office would no longer bend to players in such regard.
So, when Jennings asked for his own extension or to be traded, San Francisco held fast. He wouldn't get the hefty extensions both Samuel and Aiyuk received -- extensions the 49ers ultimately regretted. And the 49ers wouldn't give into his trade demands either.
Sorry, Jauan.
The Wednesday prior to the Niners' 2025 regular-season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported a revised deal was in place between Jennings and his team, one that adds $3 million in incentives to the $7.5 million he's scheduled to receive already, thereby bumping up the potential earnings to $10.5 million:
Another pre-Sunday deal: the 49ers and Jauan Jennings reached agreement on a deal that will add $3 million in play-time incentives to the wide receiver’s contract, per his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus. Now, instead of earning $7.5 million this season, Jennings can earn up to… pic.twitter.com/grxw9pWv7p
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 4, 2025
This probably isn't what Jennings wanted to hear, although there's no questioning he'll be plenty motivated to either match or exceed his 2024 career-best numbers that included 975 receiving yards.
Doing so in a contract year while attempting to hit those incentives is reasonable enough, and it's better than nothing.
Still, there's no other way to describe this: San Francisco won this standoff, hands down.
49ers emerge victorious in Jauan Jennings contract standoff
Trading Jennings so late in the offseason wouldn't have helped head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers offense, especially in light of their critical wide receiver shortages. But, the Niners didn't cave on that front, so it's a moot point.
They also didn't cave by giving into the receiver's demands for a hefty extension, one that reportedly was desired to be worth at least $20 million per year.
Granted, Jennings made those demands at precisely the best time possible. His own stock value was at an all-time high after coming off a career-best year, and he was fully aware of how dire San Francisco's situation at wide receiver was, thereby increasing his own value. Simultaneously, he also knew the 49ers are expecting Aiyuk back at some point this season after recovering from last year's torn ACL and MCL, which in tandem with second-year pro Ricky Pearsall assuming a larger role, could potentially push Jennings back down into a less-valued tertiary role.
Not ideal entering a contract year.
The Niners knew that, too. And they responded by giving Jennings added incentives, ones that still won't break the bank if he ultimately reaches them.
Should Jennings hit those marks, it'll ultimately mean San Francisco benefited from his presence and performance. If he doesn't, the 49ers won't pay for performance not reached.
And both parties can walk away from each other in 2026.
The Niners got what they wanted here.