The San Francisco 49ers made it bluntly clear they had no plans to re-sign wide receiver Jauan Jennings when he hit the open free-agent market last spring.
In fact, nobody signed him until well after the NFL Draft in April. It wasn't until the Minnesota Vikings finally opted to give him a one-year deal last May that "Third and Jauan" finally found a new employer. And, despite the Norsemen's relative uncertainty at quarterback, the trio of wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and now Jennings seemed promising enough.
At least up until Jennings' debut.
Minnesota knocked off its NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in convincing fashion, beating them 39-22.
Rather surprisingly, though, Jennings was hardly a factor—an ominous start to his Vikings tenure.
Jauan Jennings disappoints with 0-catch performance in his Vikings debut
Understandably, Jefferson led the way for the Norsemen with 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but one would've figured Jennings would have at least a few grabs throughout the game, particularly when looking at the final score.
Instead, Jennings played 31 snaps, didn't haul in a single pass and was only targeted once.
That has to be disappointing, both for the veteran receiver and for Minnesota fans who thought he'd fully round out the Vikings receiving corps.
Now, Jennings did offer up a key block on one of Minnesota's touchdown runs, and Niners fans can fully attest just how effective the big-bodied pass catcher is in that department. It's an element San Francisco surely will miss with Jennings out of the picture.
Still, the lack of receiving stats has to sting.
Jauan Jennings' Vikings debut is a far cry from last years with 49ers
Two seasons ago, Jennings led all 49ers wide receivers with 975 receiving yards. While that was largely related to a thin depth chart because of injuries, it doesn't eliminate the fact he was a crucial part of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense—Jennings stepped up in a moment of need.
A year ago, despite injuries of his own, Jennings had 105 receiving yards and two touchdowns over the first two weeks.
It doesn't appear as if he'll replicate those kinds of numbers again in his new jersey.
Of course, Jennings had a reputation for massive games, intersected with performances where his blocking mattered more than catching passes. And one week won't paint the full picture of how things go for him in Minnesota.
But, for now, the Niners have to feel as if they made the right choice not to retain him when he hit the open market.
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