The San Francisco 49ers have been in the trade speculation regarding Minnesota Vikings wideout Jauan Jennings. Despite the Vikings being 5-0, Jennings hasn’t been used much in the team’s passing game.
Jennings has recorded two catches for nine yards in four games, but appears to be a key figure in Minnesota’s blocking game. Nonetheless, during an Oct. 13 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport believes San Francisco “makes sense” as a potential trade destination.
“The 49ers lost Deebo [Samuel] for a couple of weeks, too, so they make sense,” Rapoport said when examining possible destinations for Jennings (h/t 49ers WebZone). “That would be a name for me to keep an eye on over the next little bit. Like, those are the kinds of trades we’ll see, I think.”
Even though the Niners make sense and Jennings knows their system, The Ringer’s NFL insider Tom Pelissero doesn’t see the Vikings trading away the veteran wideout even though there’s been a lack of production from a receiving standpoint.
“I don’t anticipate Jauan Jennings is going anywhere,” Pelissero said during an Oct. 15 appearance on KFAN. “I expect he’s going to be on the team after the bye. Certainly, there’s been trade interest in him.
“That’s typical when a player has the low production level that Jauan has had so far this season. Other teams begin to call, but I believe that he’s going to be on the roster.”
Why the Vikings Would Want to Hold Onto Jauan Jennings
Moreover, Pelissero explained why he doesn’t see the Vikings giving up on Jennings a few games into the 2026 season as the trade deadline nears on Nov. 10.
“I believe that there’s more in there,” Pelissero added. “He hasn’t played his best. They haven’t necessarily gotten him the opportunities that they would like to, but he’s still a different body type that they don’t have in anybody else. With JuJu [Smith-Schuster], I don’t think that they’re going down that road. He’s had a couple of workouts this week. You’re always churning.”
49ers Insider Not Buying Jauan Jennings Trade Speculation
Pelissero isn’t the only one who doesn’t see a trade with the 49ers for Jennings happening before the deadline. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan noted her skepticism of Jennings returning to the Niners despite the team needing help at the receiver position.
“I can see where Jauan Jennings would be frustrated,” Lee Chan said in an Oct. 14 video on her YouTube channel. “Now, Jauan Jennings, though, just isn’t involved in the receiving game, not involved in the passing game. He has been on the field a ton.
“Seventy-four percent of the offensive snaps, Jauan Jennings has been on the field, not on special teams. Seventy-four percent of the offensive snaps with Jauan Jennings on the field for the Minnesota Vikings, so I just don’t think that he’s on the trade block. The Minnesota Vikings needed help getting their run game going. They’ve had injuries to their offensive line.
“They’ve had injuries to their tight end. T.J. Hockenson is in the protocol. It’s a tough go for the Vikings, even though they are 5-0. They’re dealing with some injuries, too. So, I just don’t think the Minnesota Vikings are going to sell Jauan Jennings when they’ve been using him 74 percent of the time.”
49ers Receive Insider Update on Jauan Jennings Trade Speculation