It wouldn’t be a surprise if the San Francisco 49ers are in the market for a wide receiver trade.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported talks about the Minnesota Vikings trading Jennings are heating up, and went so far as to name the 49ers as a team that would “make sense.” It’s hard to disagree with him.
San Francisco’s receiving corps is limping into Week 6 with Ricky Pearsall on season-ending IR, Demarcus Robinson on IR with a high ankle sprain, Christian Kirk on IR with a calf strain, De’Zhaun Stribling on IR with an ankle issue and Deebo Samuel nursing a hamstring strain. The only healthy receivers the 49ers have going into their Monday Night Football matchup with the Washington Commanders are Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Brandin Cooks. Mike Evans, while available, is playing through broken ribs.
Adding another receiver, particularly one as reliable as Jennings was for San Francisco during his six seasons with the club, is enticing. Last season in 15 games with the 49ers he caught 55 balls for 643 yards and nine touchdowns. The year before that he had a breakout campaign with 975 yards and six touchdowns on 77 receptions. He knows the 49ers’ offense and has great chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy.
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Jennings would also have short and long-term use for San Francisco while they navigate their injury situation. They could plug him in on Day 1 and have a reliable second receiver across from Mike Evans. When Samuel gets healthy, Jennings becomes a reliable No. 3 receiver. And when Stribling gets healthy the 49ers would have Jennings as insurance in the event another WR went down.
Having more capable, trusted receivers among the pass-catching group certainly wouldn’t hurt, and they could probably get Jennings and his $8 million contract for a late-round draft pick. He has just two catches for nine yards in four games for the Vikings this season.
Whether the 49ers would actually make the move is a different question. They had some friction with Jennings over his contract last season and they weren’t eager to bring him back in free agency this offseason. And even with their injury issues they have a Bye coming up in Week 8 at which point they could be getting Robinson and Kirk back. Samuel may be back a short while after that. Stribling is also set to return at some point around Week 12.
It wouldn’t be out of the question that the 49ers would rather hold on to their draft capital and game plan around their ailing WR depth for now while looking to make trades along the defensive line where they have more long-term injuries to deal with.
A Jennings trade might help the 49ers. We just wouldn’t bet on them making that deal.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Jauan Jennings trade: Should the 49ers be in the market for a reunion?