Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings is no longer a free agent.
One of the Niners' more reliable pass catchers over the last few seasons finally ended his availability by signing a one-year deal with an NFC rival, the Minnesota Vikings, a team with whom he met not long ago after the NFL Draft concluded.
News of which was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter late Thursday evening:
Former 49ers free-agent WR Jauan Jennings and the Minnesota Vikings reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $13 million, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/Kg66i5usvw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2026
The Niners publicly bid farewell to Jennings earlier this offseason, and any notion of him coming back was all but eliminated after they signed veteran wideouts Mike Evans and Christian Kirk on the free-agent market, doubling down by using their first pick in the draft on Ole Miss' De'Zhaun Stribling.
But, if Jennings wants to get some revenge on the only NFL employer he had known up to this point, he won't have to wait long.
49ers to face Jauan Jennings' Vikings at home this season
We don't know the exact date yet, as the 2026 regular-season schedule has yet to be released. But the Vikings are on the docket for teams San Francisco will host at some point on the year.
That means, assuming Minnesota isn't the road team when the 49ers play an international game in Mexico City, Mexico, that Jennings will return to Levi's Stadium to face off against his former squad, and it's safe to assume he'll have a bit of an ax to grind.
Granted, things didn't necessarily end acrimoniously in the Bay Area, although it's fair to assume Jennings probably wishes the 49ers would've rewarded him with a long-term contract prior to 2025 before letting him hit the open market.
But the delayed signing until late in the offseason, combined with the one-year deal, suggests there wasn't too big a market for Jennings anyway.
As for Jennings, his new destination ultimately means the Vikings will benefit from the tenacious blocking and clutch receiving abilities that too frequently got under opponents' skin.
Soon, the Niners will have to be on the opposite end of that.
Add us as a preferred source on Google