After striking a reunion with DeForest Buckner earlier this week, the San Francisco 49ers were on the verge of bringing back another former player.
During “The Inside Scoop” segment of the “Fox NFL Sunday” pregame show with Jay Glazer, he revealed the 49ers had a deal in place for Jauan Jennings this week, but he ended up denying the homecoming.
“The 49ers who traded for DeForest Buckner also had a trade terms worked out for Jauan Jennings — their former receiver,” Glazer said. “It was contingent on him hopping on a FaceTime with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch and saying ‘Okay, yeah I wanna come back.’ But he didn’t.”
“He said, ‘Actually, I wanna stay here in Minnesota,’” Glazer added.
Jennings’ choice to stay with the Vikings isn’t necessarily a bad decision on his part, as they entered Sunday 6-0 — the last undefeated team in the NFL.
Jennings, who’s known for delivering explosive plays, has been utilized in the slot, playing alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, where he has been limited in his contribution with only four receptions for 43 yards and zero touchdowns this season.
Buckner was just been one of the many reunions San Francisco has had over the past year, as they also brought back Dre Greenlaw and Deebo Samuel during the offseason.
After leading the team in receiving touchdowns (9) last season, Jennings left the 49ers and signed a one-year deal with the Vikings over the offseason.
Jennings spent the first five years of his career in San Francisco and helped the 49ers make one Super Bowl appearance (2024) and make the playoffs four times.
San Francisco selected him in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he had his breakout season in 2024, when he had 77 receptions for 975 yards and six touchdowns.
The potential addition of Jennings would’ve helped bring a boost to an injured 49ers wide receiver room that features Samuel, Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, and Christian Kirk.
