Jauan Jennings wasn’t supposed to be this good. Drafted in the seventh round in 2021, he spent his first three seasons as a fringe roster player before exploding into one of the most dependable receivers in the NFC. In 2024, Jennings broke out with 975 yards and six touchdowns and followed that up with 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns in 2025 while playing through broken ribs.
Spotrac projects his market value at $22.6 million annually, a number the cap-strapped 49ers couldn’t justify after committing to Brock Purdy’s extension. They signed Mike Evans as a replacement.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter put it plainly on The Pat McAfee Show: “It looks like the 49ers will be losing Jauan Jennings.”
Jennings is one of the best remaining free agents on the market, and there are several teams that could still use a reliable WR2.
Here are the three best landing spots for the former 49ers receiver.
Seattle Seahawks
This is the most logical fit in the league, and it starts with a phone call that probably already happened. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury came directly from San Francisco’s staff and coached Jennings in a system built around the same concepts Seattle is now installing.
The football case is just as strong. Jennings ranked top four in the NFL in contested receptions in 2025 with 18, a skill Seattle desperately needs after finishing 28th in third-down conversion rate last season. His run-blocking grades have also been elite. Pro Football Focus rated him among the top ten receivers in that category two years running, which fits a Seahawks team that still wants to establish the run first.
Los Angeles Chargers
The scheme connection here is deeper than it sounds. Mike McDaniel was San Francisco’s offensive coordinator in 2021 and the architect of the motion-heavy, run-after-catch system that Jennings thrived in before anyone outside the Bay Area knew his name.
Now McDaniel is the Chargers’ OC, and he’s building an offense around Justin Herbert that needs exactly what Jennings provides: a 6’3″ physical mismatch who wins in the red zone and doesn’t shrink in big moments.
Los Angeles finished 22nd in red zone touchdown percentage in 2025. Jennings, meanwhile, has scored 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons combined and caught 76% of his targets inside the ten-yard line. With Ladd McConkey handling the underneath routes and Quentin Johnston stretching the field vertically, Jennings gives Herbert a reliable WR2 in a passing attack that suddenly has no obvious weak link.
Washington Commanders
Washington isn’t the sexiest destination, but consider: they have $66 million in cap space, a franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels, and a receiver room that still lacks a proven WR2 behind Terry McLaurin.
GM Adam Peters built rosters in San Francisco for years and knows Jennings’ value better than almost any executive currently in the market.
At 28, Jennings isn’t an explosive receiver and Washington may prefer a younger, developmental option.
But Daniels is ready to win now, and a physical, sure-handed possession receiver who can move the chains and make tough catches over the middle is exactly what a young QB needs to take the next step
The Bottom Line
Jennings’ market has moved slower than expected and that’s genuinely puzzling for a receiver with his résumé.
Whatever the reason, the team that closes first is getting a bargain.
