Minnesota wide receiver Jauan Jennings preferred to remain with the Vikings when his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, attempted to trade for him, according to multiple reports on Sunday.
Fox Sports, which first reported the news, said a trade had been arranged contingent on Jennings’ approval, but he declined. ESPN reported that the Vikings gave Jennings, in his first season with Minnesota, a “voice” in the process, adding that the 29-year-old believes in the team’s direction and that the organization views him as a key part of the offense.
He entered the day with four catches on eight targets for 43 yards and had played 71% of the offensive snaps (234) in five games (two starts) this season.
The Vikings (6-1) were the last team to fall from the unbeaten ranks, losing 19-15 to the host Detroit Lions on Sunday. Jennings played behind starters Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and finished with two receptions on two targets for 11 yards.
Jennings, 29, spent the first five seasons of his career with San Francisco, which selected him in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. He caught 210 passes on 330 targets for 2,581 yards and 22 touchdowns in 75 regular-season games (32 starts) from 2021-25. He added 23 receptions for 289 yards and one touchdown in 11 playoff games (two starts, both in 2025).
Last season, Jennings started all 15 regular-season games he played and had 55 catches on 90 targets for a team-high 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns for the 49ers.
San Francisco elected not to re-sign him in the offseason, and he reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Vikings for a base salary of $8 million, with incentives that could pay him as much as $13 million.
The 49ers (6-1) have been seeking depth at wide receiver, with Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson placed on injured reserve and Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) and Mike Evans (Achilles) dealing with injuries.