Entering the offseason for the San Francisco 49ers, one of the biggest questions was whether they would bring back wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
It already seemed unlikely entering the offseason. But given San Francisco's recent moves, a reunion with the former seventh-round draft pick feels impossible.
The 49ers signed two veteran receivers in Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. Evans gives San Francisco one of the most elite receivers in the game even if he might be a bit past his peak. Kirk gives the offense the deep threat sorely missed last season.
That does not leave any room for Jennings, who still remains unsigned in free agency.
There was some speculation Jennings could get a big deal this offseason. He is coming off a solid year with the 49ers in which he had 643 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The year prior, he had nearly a thousand receiving yards and six touchdowns.
It wouldn't have been a shock to see him get a deal from a team in the $15 million per-year range, but that sort of deal just hasn't materialized.
49ers were wise not to overreact and re-sign Jauan Jennings
The 49ers have to feel smart for a few reasons. First, they didn't panic and sign Jennings to an extension last season when he held out. It would have been easy, given the ghastly situation at wide receiver at that time, to cave in to his demands and give him an overpriced contract.
Yet, the Niners learned their lesson from the Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk contract dramas and held their ground.
Not only that, but it would've been easy to try and sign Jennings early on in free agency just to ensure they had a reliable, proven option at wide receiver who has a ton of chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy.
Instead, they waited. And it seems the rest of the NFL isn't exactly stumbling over itself to give Jennings a deal.
He is going to land with a team eventually. While he is not the fastest or biggest guy, 49ers fans know Jennings is a great competitor. He will run block as hard as any receiver in the league, and he's always a valuable target on third down.
It wouldn't be a shock if he ended up with a team like the Los Angeles Chargers to reunite him with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Everyone knows mow much McDaniel loves the run game, and his scheme is not possible without receivers like Jennings throwing blocks.
Still, the Niners were wise to be patient and not overpay for Jennings. Instead, they got a clear upgrade with Evans and added a speed threat in Kirk, so the wide receiver room looks to be improved already.