The 49ers’ offseason might’ve been coasting on calm waters, until Jauan Jennings cracked it open. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the veteran wide receiver is pushing for either a new contract or a trade, frustrated with the two-year, $15 million deal he signed just last offseason. Jennings isn’t expected to hold out of training camp, yet. But his dissatisfaction is clear… And it’s rooted in performance. In 2024, he finally got a full-fledged role and broke out for 77 catches and 975 yards, outpacing his pay grade. The tension has the 49ers on high alert, because they’ve been here before.

Just last offseason, contract disputes with Brandon Aiyuk dragged on long enough to threaten camp harmony. A headache the front office is desperate to avoid again. Especially not with Jennings, who proved his worth when injuries gutted the receiver room. When Deebo Samuel missed Week 3, Jennings stepped in at “Z” receiver and torched the Rams for 11 catches and three touchdowns. Later, he took over the “X” role after Aiyuk’s season-ending injury. That’s the versatility Jennings is betting on in negotiations. But quietly, Kyle Shanahan has already zeroed in on a potential in-house replacement: a rookie wideout who’s been turning heads.

That would be Isaiah Neyor, the undrafted wideout out of Nebraska who’s already turned heads, especially George Kittle’s. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver has been impossible to miss in practices, not just for his size but for how effortlessly he covers ground. Kittle couldn’t hide his amazement while talking about Neyor on Bussin’ With The Boys. “He’s a good kid. I like him. He’s a freak. He is really tall. I watched him, he was running a route, and he got like nine and a half yards in two strides. I was like, ‘Holy sh*t.’ It was insane. We watched it like 10 times as the tight end room. We’re like, ‘How is he doing this?’”

That explosion on the field matches Neyor’s measurables. At the 2025 NFL Combine, he clocked a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and posted an 11-foot-1 broad jump, numbers that earned him a 92-athleticism score. Second-best among all receivers that year, per NFL.com’s draft profile. Jennings built his value as the Niners’ go-to big-bodied target on third downs, a niche Neyor is physically built to replicate.

With Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and Jacob Cowing atop the current pecking order — and Brandon Aiyuk still rehabbing from ACL and MCL injuries — the back half of the receiver room remains wide open. Neyor is firmly in that mix, and every missed rep by Jennings in practice boosts the rookie’s reps with the first and second teams, a luxury undrafted players rarely enjoy. Physically, he mirrors Jennings: Neyor at 6’4”, 218 pounds, Jennings at 6’3”, 212 but with noticeably more speed.

Of course, cracking the 53-man roster is still an uphill climb for Neyor. Without established production or polish as a route-runner, he’ll need every camp and preseason snap to cement a spot. But the opportunity is real. With Aiyuk sidelined, the receiver rotation is in flux, and if Jennings’ dissatisfaction keeps him from full participation, that’s Neyor’s window. For now, he’s a name worth watching closely as the 49ers head toward camp with a depth chart in flux.

49ers’ gamble on youth hits a Jennings-sized roadblock

The 49ers’ 2025 offseason was never built for sentiment. It was built for survival under a cap crunch. Brock Purdy’s monster extension reset the budget, forcing the front office to gut the roster of core veterans like Deebo Samuel, Charvarius Ward, and Talanoa Hufanga. Even Jerry Rice didn’t hide his frustration. “Super Bowl 60 is going to be here in San Francisco. I would’ve preferred to leave everything like last year, add on to that, and have a chance,” he told the San Jose Mercury News. But before Kyle Shanahan could settle into his post-veteran rebuild, another problem arrived at his doorstep: Jauan Jennings. There’s a precedent here when Brandon Aiyuk held the team hostage with his $30 million demand, the Niners caved. Jennings isn’t even asking for half that.

An $18 million per year deal would probably end it. And unlike Aiyuk, Jennings has actually played like a guy who bleeds for this team. What makes the situation harder? Jennings won’t be begging for long. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, multiple teams have already called the 49ers to inquire about trading for the breakout receiver. But San Francisco’s front office? They shut it down immediately. No negotiations, no offers, no maybes. It’s a hard no. And that hardline stance reveals a bigger gamble: the Niners have always preached culture as their foundation, and Jennings embodies it.

A seventh-round pick who did the dirty work, treated blocks like touchdowns, and became Brock Purdy’s safety valve when it mattered most. Letting that walk over a few million dollars would speak volumes. And not in a good way to the rest of the locker room. Meanwhile, the phones aren’t going quiet. Rival GMs remember what Jennings did when healthy snaps finally opened up in 2024. They remember the playoff performances, the Super Bowl moments. They also know $7.5 million per year for a playoff-tested receiver is a bargain. Sure, the Niners still hold the cards, but every week they stall, Jennings’ market value grows and so does the number of teams willing to pry him away. San Francisco may have said no once, but the leverage is slipping.