Jauan Jennings, Vikings Agree to $13M Contract, Latest Depth Chart Around Kyler Murray

Jauan Jennings is leaving the San Francisco 49ers to join the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.

Jennings has agreed with the Vikings to a contract to boost their wide receiver room.

The signing is one-year deal with a base salary of $8 million and a maximum value of $13 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

San Francisco added to its receiving corps at the start of free agency by agreeing to a three-year deal with Mike Evans. The move seemed to indicate that Jennings would not be back in the Bay Area.

Jennings hoped to cash in with a long-term deal last offseason when he engaged in a holdout with the 49ers. He didn't secure the contract he was looking for, but the Niners did adjust his previous deal to include $3 million in play-time incentives.

If not for Brock Purdy on the same team, Jennings might be regarded as the best seventh-round draft pick of the decade. He was the 217th overall pick in the 2020 draft and spent his first three seasons playing primarily in a backup role.

Amid all of the injury issues the 49ers have had over the past two seasons, Jennings became a huge focal point in Kyle Shanahan's offense. He set career-highs in receptions (77) and receiving yards (975) in 2024.

While his overall receiving numbers took a step back in 2025, Jennings did set a career-high with nine touchdown catches. He also got to show off his high-school quarterback skills in the playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The recent success Jennings has had does prove he can be a significant player for a top-tier offense. He should also be able to sustain his success going forward, despite being an older free agent, because his game is predicated on toughness and physicality to get open.

Jennings isn't a burner who runs past cornerbacks, so he will need to maintain that aggressive style of play that has not always endeared him to other players around the NFL.

The Vikings will be more than happy to have Jennings' aggression, attitude and swagger on their offense as they look to put together a roster capable of competing for a playoff spot in 2026.

Even after upgrading at quarterback by signing Kyler Murray, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell isn't taking any chances with his offense going into 2026.

Minnesota's receiver room now features Jennings, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. T.J. Hockenson, who had 910 receiving yards as recently as 2023, is starting at tight end.

Even though Jennings isn't a burner who will run by cornerbacks, he makes up for it with a unique ability to make plays in traffic. Pro Football Focus noted his 18 contested catches in 2025 ranked in the top four among all wideouts.

Given Murray's history of avoiding throws into the middle of the field, Jennings could be an ideal solution to that problem operating out of the slot. The onus is still on Murray to let it rip in that area of the field, but Jennings can make it easier for him to do so because he isn't afraid to go at anyone on any defense.