The San Francisco 49ers are winning despite seemingly suffering one cataclysmic injury after another through the 1st 2 games of the NFL regular season and a preseason that saw the same pattern of setbacks.
Now, with the 49ers sitting at 2-0 but with dwindling resources at wide receiver, Niner’s Noise’s Nick San Miguel thinks they should consider a reunion with a standout player from their recent past.
“The San Francisco 49ers seemingly lose a new wide receiver every week,” San Miguel wrote on September 26. “In Week 1, it was De’Zhaun Stribling, and in Week 2, it was Demarcus Robinson. While neither player should be out for the season, it’s still concerning and the Niners made a move by signing veteran Brandin Cooks to the practice squad.Jauan Jennings might just be one of their most logical options, especially with how poorly his start with the Minnesota Vikings has gone. Obviously, it’s only been two games but Jennings only got one target in Week 1 and then missed Week 2 because of a personal matter. That’s way too small of a sample size to say he is a bust or anything, but if he never materializes into a viable target with Minnesota, then a return to San Francisco would make all the sense in the world.”
Jauan Jennings Missed Out on Big-Money Contract
Jennings entered the 2026 offseason with his eyes on a big prize — Spotrac projected his market value was in the realm of a 3-year, $67 million free-agent contract.
That deal never materialized, and Jennings finally agreed to a 1-year, $8 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings on May 11 — some 2 months after the start of the NFL’s free-agent cycle.
Jennings Ranked No. 1 Free Agent at 1 Point
ESPN’s Matt Bowen has Jennings ranked as the No. 1 free agent still available on April 8.
“At 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, Jennings is a consistent route runner who plays through contact and makes himself available to the quarterback on in-breaking targets,” Bowen wrote. “He caught 55 passes last season for an injury-riddled 49ers unit, scoring nine touchdowns. Jennings was even better in 2024, when he ranked 12th in ESPN’s receiver scores and had 975 receiving yards.”
Jennings requested that the 49ers trade him before the 2025 season and the franchise went out and signed his replacement on the 1st day of the 2026 free agency cycle, luring veteran Mike Evans away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a 3-year, $42.5 million contract.
San Francisco 49ers Urged to Reunite With $32 Million WR