The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the season to the Atlanta Falcons last weekend, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why. San Francisco was missing its top five wide receivers in its 29-20 loss, with Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) both inactive. Ricky Pearsall is also lost for the season after knee surgery, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling isn’t expected back until December after hurting his ankle in Week 1.
However, help could be on the way. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Evans, Samuel and Demarcus Robinson (ankle) all have a chance to return after the bye week when the 49ers host the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 8. Evans has been playing through rib and Achilles issues for weeks, and the receiver room has already proven how quickly it can fall apart, which is why ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes San Francisco should bring back a familiar face before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
In their ranking of the top 25 trade-deadline candidates, Fowler and Matt Bowen tabbed the 49ers — as well as the Los Angeles Rams and Falcons — as a fit for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Jennings, who’s on a one-year deal, could prove a low-cost option for teams looking to add to their receiver room. The 49ers are an obvious fit.” While most 49ers fans would love to see the team get aggressive and land New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson, Jennings to the 49ers is gaining steam among several prominent analysts.
Jennings spent his first six seasons in San Francisco after the team took him in the seventh round of the 2020 draft. He totaled 210 catches, 2,581 yards and 22 touchdowns during that time. He also caught a touchdown and threw one in Super Bowl LVIII.
But things haven’t clicked for Jennings in Minnesota. The 29-year-old has just four catches for 43 yards on eight targets through five games, and even with Jordan Addison out last week, Jennings still couldn’t find work as Minnesota’s WR2. The 49ers have already reunited with one former player this season, trading for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and Jennings would come cheap.
He signed a one-year, $8 million deal with Minnesota in May, so San Francisco wouldn’t be on the hook for anything past January. The Vikings are 6-0 and don’t need to move him, but there’s little reason to hold onto a receiver they’re barely using. Fowler gave Jennings a 50% chance of being traded, the highest of any player on the list.
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