49ers Injury Crunch Could Reopen A Reunion Fans Know Well

The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly eyeing a game-changing trade for wide receiver Jauan Jennings amidst a string of injuries to their receiving corps, as revealed by NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Ian Rapoport is keeping the possibility alive: Jauan Jennings could wind up back with the San Francisco 49ers.

On The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, the NFL Network insider pointed to San Francisco as a team worth watching if Jennings becomes available. Rapoport said he expects the receiver’s name to “heat up a little bit over the next, probably, couple of days and weeks.” He also noted, “Obviously, the 49ers lost Deebo for a couple of weeks, too, so they make sense,” after Deebo Samuel exited Sunday’s win over Seattle with a hamstring injury.

Samuel left in the third quarter after a fumble, and Rapoport said he does not think the injury will send him to injured reserve. Even without that move, the 49ers are dealing with a crowded injury report at receiver.

Demarcus Robinson, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Christian Kirk are all on injured reserve, while Ricky Pearsall’s season-ending PCL surgery wiped out his year before it started. Kyle Shanahan said the team will always look for outside help.

Jennings’ name is in the mix because of how little he has done so far in Minnesota. ESPN reported that he signed a one-year deal worth up to $13 million with the Vikings in May, a move designed to replace Jalen Nailor and slot in behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Through four games, he has only two catches for nine yards on five targets, and he missed Week 2 for personal reasons.

The possibility of a trade picked up more steam on social media Tuesday, with Dov Kleiman posting, “The Vikings need to trade Jauan Jennings. So much potential wasted 🤦‍♂️,”

Jennings spent his first six NFL seasons with the 49ers, and his production over the last two years in San Francisco was strong: 132 catches for 1,618 yards and 15 touchdowns. He led the team with nine receiving touchdowns last season, but the extension he wanted never came.

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