49ers Rumors: Giants interested in WR Jauan Jennings per report

It began with a heated sideline exchange. And it’s continued through the week with a team reportedly interested in trading for him.

This is about Jauan Jennings. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has had quite a year. He wanted a new contract, then a trade, and decided to bet on himself in 2025 with an incentive-based deal.

Then he got injured, which hurt his availability. Factor in Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk dealing with injuries of their own, and the 49ers couldn’t get Kendrick Bourne on the field fast enough.

In Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jennings had a single catch for seven yards on three targets. The last time he was targeted three or fewer times was back in Week 13 of the 2023 season. Meanwhile, Bourne’s last three-target game was Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints — the game he was urgently brought back for after injuries hit the receiving corps.

It feels like Bourne is doing a lot of what Jennings could be doing. The Buccaneers game also had a heated exchange on the sidelines between Jennings and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan called it a “competitive” conversation, but wouldn’t elaborate. Jennings didn’t offer many details following the game either. The speculation around the exchange centered on Jennings’ potential frustration with his usage.

“If he’s not getting the calls,“ Former 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young said via KNBR. The last thing you want to do with Kyle (Shanahan) in my mind is go bitch and moan about it—especially publicly.”

It seemed like it might have been swept under the rug until a report surfaced the New York Giants were calling about a Jennings trade. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reported on Wednesday that Jennings was a name “thought to be available.” Note, Jennings was listed along with the likes of wide receivers like Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle, and Los Angeles Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers, so there wasn’t anything singling out Jennings like the 49ers were shopping him around.

Rookie Jordan Watkins might suit up on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons now that Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been placed on IR. Watkins showed promise in the preseason but has been unable to fight the injury bug to get on the field. Now he has his chance, and the 49ers have a season to let the younger players get their feet wet, which may make Jennings more available. There is no understating the value Jennings has in the locker room — teammates and coaches alike often praise his toughness and blocking ability, which makes moving him less straightforward than a simple depth decision.

By combining Watkins with Bourne, a returning Pearsall, and an (eventual) return of Aiyuk, Jennings’ availability in a trade may be increased at the very least, allowing the 49ers to make the calls rather than receive them.

Jennings has played through five broken ribs, with all the chatter surrounding him, would he still want to play through them if his days with the 49ers are numbered?