The boys are back in town.
The San Francisco 49ers reported for training camp on Tuesday with new faces, a new mindset and new, but downplayed, wide receiver drama.
Jauan Jennings
Last week, it was reported that WR Jauan Jennings wants a new contract or wants to be traded. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Jennings has not formally asked for a trade.
Jennings did report to training camp and 49ers president of football operations and general manager John Lynch and Shanahan expect him to be on the practice field.
“I won’t speak for Jauan, but we had a good visit with him,” Lynch told the Bay Area media on Tuesday. “[We] anticipate him being out [at practice]. You guys know our feelings on J.J. He embodies what we think a Niner is all about, plays the right way and we love him. All that [contract] stuff…That takes care of itself, but we love him and he’s here.”
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Quarterback Brock Purdy has developed tremendous trust and chemistry with Jennings, recalling a playoff berth-clinching game in Seattle on Thanksgiving in 2023, when Purdy realized Jennings is essentially that guy.
“He broke three guys off him and got the first down,” Purdy said (it was a third-down conversion, because he’s not 3rd-and-Jauan for nothing. “I was like, ‘Ok, Jauan is a guy that is going to fight until the very last whistle or breath that he has.’ He’s a gamer, man. He’s done that just game after game.
“He fights his butt off. He blocks his butt off for everybody. It’s not just about Jauan. He’s doing it for everyone on the field and for his team. I absolutely love playing with him and his mindset every game. Nothing but respect for Jauan. That’s my guy.”
With Brandon Aiyuk rehabbing a torn ACL, Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) starting the season on PUP, the departure of Deebo Samuel and Demarcus Robinson awaiting discipline from the league from a DUI, the wide receiver room is on the light side. Jennings was the team’s most productive wide receiver in 2024 and factors largely into their 2025 plans.
The 49ers are going to want to figure out this situation with their QB1’s guy very soon.
Injury Updates
Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp, but Lynch said he expects him to be off relatively quickly. Pearsall suffered a significant hamstring injury during OTAs. Don’t expect to see him at the 49ers first training camp practice on Wednesday.
OL Ben Bartch is on the NFI list, after injuring his quad working out away from the facility. The 49ers expect him back “relatively early” in training camp. Bartch took the majority of first-team snaps at left guard during OTAs and minicamp.
Although his rehab progress is encouraging, Lynch said there is no “concrete timeline” for Aiyuk’s return.
The 49ers are also signing WR Equanimeous St. Brown.
The 49ers have their first training camp practice on Wednesday morning.