Jennings cherishes NFL journey while approaching career milestone

Jennings cherishes NFL journey while approaching career milestone originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — Jauan Jennings has come a long way from being selected by the 49ers in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft to closing in on 1,000 yards receiving in the San Francisco’s final regular-season game.

Jennings is having the best season of his five-year NFL career having registered 70 receptions on 103 targets for 923 yards with one game yet to play. The veteran wideout’s current total already tops his previous career-high (416) by more than 500 yards.

“It means a lot,” Jennings said of hitting the milestone. “I’m not going to take anything away from it. I play receiver. I haven’t played receiver my entire life. I’m a receiver now so I take pride in it. A thousand yards is a thousand yards.”

Of course for Jennings to register the 67 yards needed to hit the landmark, the wideout could need an assist from Kyle Shanahan, who doesn’t necessarily remember those types of statistics mid-game.

With the 49ers’ final game of the 2024 NFL season being for pride and not standings, Shanahan might have it more on his mind than usual.

“I’ll keep that down,” Shanahan said. “I’m sure Jauan will tell me too. But yeah, you always want to do that stuff for guys, especially in a situation where you can think about it. It’s insulting to think about it just to the situation everyone, if you’re competing for a playoff spot or something like that, but always.

“I would love to help that out for guys. You’ve got to be somewhat careful of it.”

Jennings has excelled in his fifth season because of his talent as well as necessity. In a season where the 49ers lost Brandon Aiyuk to a season ending ACL injury in Week 8, Jennings became more than just “third-and-Jauan” evolving into the club’s every-down, go-to target for Brock Purdy.

Through 16 games Jennings was on the field for 76 percent of all offensive snaps. Being tapped as the 49ers’ top receiver is not lost on the Tennessee product that did not see the field at all in his rookie season.

“It was kind of hectic,” Jennings recalled. “I came in 2020, COVID year, so no preseason games. Two weeks and then straight into the season. I got cut that year, that’s what I remember.”

The 49ers brought back Jennings, who appeared in 16 games in his second year, but only one as a starter. Flash forward to 2024 and Jennings is an indispensable element of the 49ers’ offense as both a receiver and a run blocker.

“All the time,” Jennings said of thinking of his journey. “It means a lot. I can get emotional about it, but I choose not to. I kind of like to just think about the future and what’s ahead.”

While Shanahan may be on board to help Jennings record at least 67 yards receiving, he may see opposition from Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. The 49ers’ coach remembers trying to play spoiler when Los Angeles Rams Puka Nacua was within reach of the rookie record for receptions and yards (1,486) in a season.

“I remember last year watching the Rams trying to get Puka the record,” Shanahan said. “I know they wanted to get him in and out. So we were doing everything we could to deny him the ball. I remember he came to the sidelines on like a one-yard gain and I told him, ‘Yeah, Sean’s [McVay] going to have to play you to the end of this game because we’re not giving you your record.’

“And he just laughed and I laughed at it. We’re not playing the next week, so I’d love to help guys do that out.”

With any luck, Jennings will reach 1,000 well before the game is over by registering 67 yards – a feat the wideout has already accomplished six times this season.

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