49ers receiver Jauan Jennings reports to training camp seeking a new contract
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jauan Jennings reported to training camp for the San Francisco 49ers as he seeks a new contract and the team expects him to be on the field when practice begins on Wednesday.
General manager John Lynch said Tuesday that Jennings passed a physical when he reported for camp this week.
“I anticipate him being out there,” Lynch said. “You guys know our feelings on JJ. He embodies what we think a Niner is all about. He plays the right way and we love him. We’re not going to get into the contract talks and all that. That takes care of itself. We love him and he’s here.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Jennings hasn’t formally requested a trade. Jennings is entering the final season of a two-year, $15.4 million contract and is seeking a long-term extension before the season.
Shanahan said he would like to be able to reach an extension with both Jennings and right tackle Colton McKivitz before the season.
“The way they feel about us is the same way we feel about them,” Shanahan said. “That’s the easy part. The hard part is the business side.”
The Niners were hoping to avoid the contract distractions this summer after dealing with disputes with Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams the past two seasons that kept all of them out of training camp practices.
They reached extensions early in the offseason with stars Brock Purdy, Fred Warner and George Kittle, but now have a potential issue with Jennings.
The 2020 seventh-round pick has emerged as one of Purdy’s most trusted options at wide receiver after having 77 catches for 975 yards and six TDs last season. With Deebo Samuel having been traded to Washington in March and Aiyuk working back from a knee injury, Jennings has a big role this season.
“It’s extremely important obviously,” Purdy said about having Jennings at practice. “I love JJ and what he brings to our team. Obviously we’ve had so much success together and anytime you see something like this going on, as a player let’s figure out something so we can get back on the field.”
Injury updates
The Niners have several players starting camp in injury lists with the only expected long-term absences coming from players dealing with ACL injuries: Aiyuk, safety Malik Mustapha, linebacker Curtis Robinson and rookie quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
Lynch said those players will likely start the season on injured lists but is hopeful they can return some time during the first half of the season.
Receiver Ricky Pearsall, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and offensive lineman Andre Dillard all will start camp on the physically unable to perform list but are expected back on the field soon.
Ben Bartch, who is in the mix to start at left guard, will also miss at least the first three days of camp on the non-football injury list after injuring his quadriceps working out on his own.
Running back Christian McCaffrey and Williams are both “here and healthy,” Shanahan said, but their work loads will be managed through camp after dealing with injuries last season.
Roster move
With questions at receiver, the Niners signed Equanimeous St. Brown to add depth at the position following a tryout on Monday that featured six receivers.
St. Brown, the brother of Detroit star Amon-Ra St. Brown, has 63 catches for 928 yards in 62 career games for Green Bay, Chicago and New Orleans.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Pro Football Writer
