SANTA CLARA – Jauan Jennings was just starting a potential farewell address when asked if he’d be cool in attracting the 49ers’ franchise tag.
That would come with a projected $28 million payday for an encore next season, which is a steep cost for the 49ers but not the multi-year guarantee Jennings might fetch next month if he hits free agency for the first time in his career.
“I’ll have to talk to my guy Drew to see what that is all about,” Jennings replied last month as he and other 49ers cleared out their lockers.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, also represents kicker Eddy Piñeiro, who might be more attractive for the 49ers to use their franchise tag, albeit at some $7 million.
Starting Tuesday at 1 p.m. PT, teams have two weeks to exercise their franchise tag and thus limit a player’s movement while enticing them with a top-tier salary for next season alone.
Both Jennings and Piñeiro were integral to last season’s push into the NFC playoffs’ divisional round, where the exhausted and undermanned 49ers bowed out to the eventual champion Seattle Seahawks.
Ample time exists for negotiations for any and all potential free agents. Rosenhaus did not immediately return a message from this news organization seeking comment Tuesday.
The franchise tag has not been the 49ers’ modus operandi as coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch enter their 10th season. Only kicker Robbie Gould drew the tag under them and, rather than play on it in 2019, he eventually agreed to a contract extension.
Free agency talks are allowed to start March 9 and contracts can be ratified as soon as March 11, including trades.
Franchise-tag candidates around the NFL include wide receivers George Pickens (Cowboys) and Alec Pierce (Colts), defensive end Trey Hendrickson (Bengals), tight end Kyle Pitts (Falcons), and running backs Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks) and Breece Hall (Jets).
Last year, the 49ers ushered out a swath of veterans, mostly on defense, to recalibrate their roster and payroll. More changes are inevitable over the next month, but not like last year’s clear-cutting. This year’s crop of impending free agents is headlined by Jennings, all due respect to Piñeiro’s savior turn last season.
“He’s my guy. I love playing with him and everything we’ve been through,” quarterback Brock Purdy said last month of Jennings. “He’s a war daddy in that anytime you step out on the field, you know you’re going to get your best and everything from J.J. Obviously, I want my guy back.”
Last summer’s training camp indicated that Jennings might not return, however. He sought a trade before camp, then a calf issue sidelined him after just a few practices, all while he sought a raise that eventually came in the form of $3 million worth of incentives, which he reached.
The 49ers have the financial wherewithal to pay up with much more this season, aided by the fact that they voided Brandon Aiyuk’s $27 million in guarantees. He’s expected to be moved off their roster after vanishing amid last season’s knee rehabilitation.
Jennings was a 2020 seventh-round pick out of Tennessee, his native state, where he could possibly return in free agency to join a Titans franchise that needs a big-play receiver under new coach Robert Saleh, the 49ers’ former defensive coordinator.
When Jennings was asked about free agency upon cleaning out his 49ers’ locker last month, he replied: “It’s my first time. We’ll see what it’s like.”
Using his physical and brash style, Jennings has excelled best as the 49ers’ third-down producer. He totaled 10 of his 22 touchdown receptions on third downs, and 69-of-87 third-down catches resulted in a first down.
Last season, Jennings had just 643 yards (55th in the NFL) but scored on a career-high nine touchdown receptions, tying for the NFL’s eighth-best total. Jennings caught 55 of 90 regular-season targets and seven resulted in interceptions. He also threw a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey in the wild-card playoff upset at Philadelphia.
Jennings emerged as the 49ers’ leading wide receiver in 2024 once Aiyuk got hurt, totaling 77 catches (one shy of tight end George Kittle’s team lead) for 975 yards and six touchdowns.
Tagging Piñeiro wouldn’t be outlandish considering how he steadied their special teams after succeeding Jake Moody in Week 2. Piñeiro’s lone miss on 32 field-goal attempts all season was a 64-yarder off the crossbar in Indianapolis to close the first half of a Dec. 22 win. He did miss five point-after kicks (41 tries).
Other 49ers slated to become unrestricted free agents: wide receivers Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore and Trent Taylor; running backs Brian Robinson and Patrick Taylor Jr.; defensive linemen Jordan Elliott, Yetur Gross-Matos, Kevin Givens, and, Clelin Ferrell; offensive linemen Spencer Burford, Ben Bartch, and, Matt Hennessy; linebackers Luke Gifford, Eric Kendricks, Curtis Robinson, and Garrett Wallow; safety Jason Pinnock; long snapper Jon Weeks; and, punter Thomas Morstead.
Restricted free agents are cornerback Chase Lucas; defensive linemen Sam Okuayinonu, Kalia Davis, Robert Beal Jr., and Tarron Jackson; and tight end Jake Tonges.
