The 49ers had a deal for Jauan Jennings, and he would not take the call
The trade with Minnesota hinged on one video call with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, Jay Glazer reported Sunday. Jennings declined it and stays a Viking.
The 49ers and Minnesota had a trade in place for receiver Jauan Jennings, and Jennings ended it. The deal was contingent on Jennings getting on a video call with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported Sunday, as relayed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Jennings passed.
What was agreed. Nothing about the price has been reported. Neither Glazer's report nor ESPN's follow-up names a draft pick, a player or a salary split. No report says Jennings's contract gives him a veto. The block was the call.
Jennings's side. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Jennings told the Vikings he wanted to stay in Minnesota, and a source told ESPN the Vikings gave him "a voice" in the process. He signed a one-year, $8 million deal there in May, with up to $5 million more in incentives, according to Over The Cap. Entering Sunday he had four catches on eight targets for 43 yards, per ESPN. In 2025 he led San Francisco with nine receiving touchdowns, on 55 catches for 643 yards.
The 49ers' side. The club's newsroom carried no statement as of 3 p.m. Sunday, and its most recent transaction is the Oct. 28 trade for DeForest Buckner.
Why they called. The receiver room is three men short. Ricky Pearsall, De'Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson are on injured reserve, and Dante Pettis is on practice squad injured reserve. Shanahan said Oct. 26 that Stribling is on track for December. Mike Evans (ribs, Achilles) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) have missed games, and Shanahan named both, along with Robinson, among eight players with a chance to return after the bye. The six receivers on the 53 are Evans, Samuel, Christian Kirk, Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins.
What the agreement says about the front office. The case against Jennings was speed and separation. He ran a 4.72-second 40 in 2020, and Next Gen Stats put him 113th of 120 qualifying receivers in average separation last season. Lynch and Shanahan agreed to terms anyway, which puts a receiver who knows the offense, available now, ahead of those numbers in their reckoning for the second half.
The roster math. The 53 is full. Robinson and C.J. West can come off injured reserve after the bye, and each needs a spot. A receiver acquired by trade would have needed a third. The Buckner deal cost one: Jack Jones was released the same day.
What is left. The trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. Eastern, two days after Las Vegas visits Levi's Stadium on Nov. 8.
Jennings took the call. Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that the two spoke over FaceTime and that Jennings said he was happy in Minnesota. The headline, deck and first paragraph said he declined the call; what he declined was the trade.
GSP
