Wait, so did San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings request a trade, or did he not?
We're confused.
Last July, Jennings apparently asked for either an extension or trade, according to a report from ESPN. It made sense, especially coming off a career year in 2024 and following the same strategy employed by previous teammates, wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
However, when asked about the topic during the opening press conference at training camp, head coach Kyle Shanahan's response left no room for questioning.
"He hasn’t formally asked for a trade," Shanahan said with general manager John Lynch sitting right beside him.
OK, then. A false report regarding the trade request. Those happen, fine.
Except things get confusing when there's a contradictory statement from one-half of the Lynch-Shanahan duo just over a month later, which is precisely what happened.
John Lynch contradicts Kyle Shanahan's dismissal of Jauan Jennings' trade request
Despite attending training camp and physically participating early, Jennings subsequently suffered a calf injury that also forced him to sit out the entirety of the preseason, even leading to doubt his availability for the Niners' regular-season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7.
The injury also didn't help alleviate concerns if San Francisco's leading wideout from last season was using the calf setback as a means to drive contract talks, especially amid the 49ers' injury-related shortages at the position.
The day after all 32 teams had to trim their rosters to 53 players, Lynch and Shanahan again spoke to reporters, and the general manager directly contradicted what Shanahan previously said.
When asked again if Jennings requested a trade, Lynch said, "A while ago he did. That was a long time ago and we’ve moved on from that."
So, Jennings did ask for a trade after all.
The apparent reversal is certainly confusing, although there isn't necessarily a lot to grasp from it. Lynch is repeatedly on record saying the Niners prefer to keep contract talks behind closed doors, and he also pointed out "both things can be true" about the combination of injuries and extension talks.
It doesn't appear as if San Francisco is interested in trading Jennings, but it also seems as if it doesn't want to cave to a lucrative extension for the receiver as he enters the final year of his contract.
Who gives in first?