Tag: jauan jennings

49ers injury news underscores need for Christian McCaffrey return

The San Francisco 49ers have never needed Christian McCaffrey back more than they do now.

It isn’t news that running back and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey is a key cog in the 49ers’ offensive system.

It also isn’t news that his return should provide a substantial boost for a San Francisco offense that’s been struggling to find the end zone without him in 2024.

New developments coming out of the team’s Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs highlight just how important McCaffrey’s return will be for the 49ers.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday in a conference call with reporters confirmed that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL in Sunday’s loss. He also said tight end George Kittle is day-to-day with a foot sprain, and WR Jauan Jennings is still dealing with a hip injury that held him out of Week 7. WR Deebo Samuel is also hospitalized with pneumonia and his timetable for a return is unknown.

Shanahan also mentioned in his conference call that the team hopes to get McCaffrey back right after their Week 9 Bye.

Even if Kittle, Jennings and Samuel are all back by that Bye week, McCaffrey’s presence will be a massive help for the offense without Aiyuk in the lineup. Aiyuk is the only receiver the 49ers have who consistently separates against man coverage, and he’s a threat in all three levels of the passing game.

Having McCaffrey back will help Shanahan better manipulate defenders and open space for some of the other playmakers who made need some scheme assistance to get open and operate in the spaces they’re used to operating in.

There was never a point in the year where the 49ers weren’t going to need McCaffrey back, but their dire injury situation makes his return even more vital if San Francisco wants to make the playoffs and make noise when they get there.

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Fantasy Football: 10 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Tyler Goodson and Ray Davis highlight this week’s list of running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire.

Several key injuries (and players returning from injuries) are shaking up the NFL — and fantasy football lineups — going into Week 8.

At quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa (27%) is expected to return after recovering from his concussion. In Cleveland, the Browns are expected to turn the offense over to Jameis Winston (1%) after losing Deshuan Watson to an Achilles injury. Drake Maye (14%) is also worth a look at QB.

At wide receiver, Jauan Jennings (46%) will be a popular target this week after the 49ers lost Brandon Aiyuk to a torn ACL. Elsewhere at the position, Romeo Doubs (37%) has turned heads with consecutive big games.

At tight end, Hunter Henry (28%) and Taysom Hill (21%) will be among the top targets to consider on the waiver wire ahead of Week 8.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of ten running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Ray Davis (15%): Even with James Cook back in the lineup, Davis still got five carries and a target, turning those touches into 41 rushing yards and a touchdown and a one-yard reception. He won’t reach the end zone every week, but Davis offers flex value even when Cook is healthy.

2. RB Tyler Goodson (10%): It remains to be seen if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will be able to return this week. In his absence on Sunday, it was Goodson, not Trey Sermon, who led the Colts’ backfield with 14 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.

3. RB Alexander Mattison (43%): Mattison dominated the Raiders’ backfield on Sunday with 26 touches that he turned into 123 yards.

4. RB Jaylen Warren (46%): Najee Harris is still the guy in Pittsburgh, but Warren got 12 carries and three targets in Week 7. He’s worth flex consideration in a shared backfield.

5. RB Tyrone Tracy (48%): Even with Devin Singletary back in the lineup, Tracy remained a key part of New York’s offense. Game flow didn’t allow for much rushing from the Giants, but Tracy got one more carry (six to five) and two more targets (three to one) than Singletary on Sunday.

6. RB Sean Tucker (11%): Rachaad White is back and Bucky Irving remains the RB1b, but there’s still a role for Tucker in the backfield. He got five carries and two targets on Monday.

7. RB Kendre Miller (8%): The Saints weren’t able to get anything going against Denver’s defense on TNF, but Miller got six carries (compared to Alvin Kamara’s seven) and three targets (compared to Kamara’s seven). Kamara is obviously still the star in New Orleans, but Miller might have some standalone value going forward.

8. RB D’Ernest Johnson (15%): Tank Bigsby (69%) is dominating right now, but there’s still a role for Johnson. He got nine carries and four targets this week.

9. RB Trey Benson (18%): Benson is a claim-and-stash option in case James Conner is ever unavailable this season.

10. RB Blake Corum (18%): Similar to Benson, Corum is a valuable handcuff behind Kyren Williams.

Bonus RBs: Nick Chubb (83%), Tank Bigsby (69%), Jonathon Brooks (60%), Bucky Irving (66%) and Tyler Allgeier (54%) are already rostered in most leagues, but double check just to make sure they’re not still available in your league. 

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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49ers injury update: RB Jordan Mason in practice to open Week 7

Jordan Mason practiced for the 49ers on Wednesday. Here’s the full, ugly practice report:

The San Francisco 49ers got mixed injury news overall to start their week of practice ahead of a Week 7 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Perhaps the most positive sign on a crowded practice participation report was the presence of running back Jordan Mason who suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder during the 49ers’ Week 6 victory. It’s unclear whether he’ll be able to play in Sunday’s game, but the fact he was on the practice field as a limited participant to start the week means his arrow is at least pointing in the right direction after a couple extra days off.

Typically the extra time off will benefit a team like the 49ers that needs to get some additional time to get healthy. While the few days off did help Mason and a couple other players, San Francisco is still in a bad way overall from an injury perspective.

11 players were on the Wednesday practice report to open Week 7, although two of them were on veteran rest days. A couple players who weren’t on the injury report for Week 6 showed up on the participation report for Week 7, putting the 49ers in a potentially tough spot entering their Super Bowl rematch.

Here’s what the Wednesday participation report looked like:

Did not participate

DT Maliek Collins (knee)
WR Jauan Jennings (hip)
K Matthew Wright (shoulder, back)
K Jake Moody (ankle)
LT Trent Williams (not injury related – resting player)
DE Leonard Floyd (not injury related – resting player)

The Collins and Jennings absences were unexpected. Neither player came up either time when head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters in the aftermath of Week 6. Collins is the team’s best interior defensive lineman, and Jennings is a reliable third WR for quarterback Brock Purdy. Missing either player could spell disaster for the 49ers on Sunday.

Limited participation

DT Jordan Elliott (knee)
CB Darrell Luter (pelvis)
RB Jordan Mason (shoulder)
S Malik Mustapha (ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (wrist)

It’s not immediately clear when Samuel hurt his wrist, but a limited session to start the week is a good sign overall. The same goes for Mustapha and Mason who were both hurt in Week 6. Elliott missed the Seahawks game. His presence Wednesday is a plus, especially given Collins’ status.

Full participation

LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf)
WR Ricky Pearsall (chest)
CB Charvarius Ward (knee)

Ward missed Week 6 because of a knee bruise and Flannigan-Fowles has missed the last two games with his injury.

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49ers injury news: Jauan Jennings exits after 2 plays vs. Cardinals

The 49ers leading receiver exited on Sunday against the Cardinals after the first two plays of the game.

After two plays, the San Francisco 49ers leading receiver exited Sunday’s Week 5 game with an apparent injury. After opening on offense against the Arizona Cardinals, breakout pass catcher Jauan Jennings left the game to the sideline with an apparent injury.

Jennings quickly entered the blue medical tent on the sideline in Santa Clara.

Via @nwagoner on Twitter:

Following Jennings’ trip to the medical tent, the former Tennesee Volunteer returned to the sideline and sat on the bench with the rest of the 49ers, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.

Via @mattbarrows on Twitter:

 

Stay tuned to Niners Wire for more updates regarding Jennings’ injury.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Rise of 49ers WR opens door to solve one big offensive question

Maybe more “3 WR” sets is the move for the 49ers.

There’s a minor problem simmering under the surface of one of the San Francisco 49ers’ biggest offensive successes this season.

Running back Jordan Mason is second in the NFL in rushing yards with 447, but his 91 carries far outpace the rest of the league. He’s on pace for a whopping 387 carries, which would be the most in an NFL season since DeMarco Murray had 392 for the Cowboys in 2014.

The 49ers have to figure out a way to lighten his workload. Perhaps RB Christian McCaffrey returns at some point and the sustainability question for Mason is erased completely. It’s tough to bank on McCaffrey at this point though given that we’re still unsure what his timeline for return even looks like.

It doesn’t appear San Francisco has an immediate solution to take some of the carries off of Mason’s plate. Rookie Isaac Guerendo had one rush in the first two weeks, five in Week 3, but then was back to one in Week 4. Patrick Taylor, the other RB on the roster, hasn’t played an offensive snap.

Maybe it’s a lack of trust for head coach Kyle Shanahan, or just an uncertainty about the production those two could provide in comparison to Mason.

That brings us to our proposed solution: Jauan Jennings.

This isn’t to say Jennings should be in the backfield. However, his emergence as a legitimate receiving weapon on a high volume of targets makes it conceivable that he should be playing more.

The 49ers love to lean on their 21 personnel with two running backs, one tight end and two WRs, and Shanahan has indicated they plan to stick with that as their primary personnel grouping despite Jennings’s emergence as a potential star.

A move to some 11 personnel (one RB, one TE, three WRs) may allow San Francisco to both spell Mason and get Jennings on the field thanks to Deebo Samuel’s versatility.

Using Samuel in the backfield isn’t a novel concept, but it’s one the 49ers have gone away from since his breakout All-Pro campaign in 2021. That year he ran it 59 times. In 2022 his carries dipped to 42, and then to 37 last season. His snaps in the backfield also dropped from 116 in 2021 to just 49 in 2023 per Pro Football Focus.

We’ve already seen the 49ers rely on Samuel as a runner in pinch this season. They fed him eight carries in Week 1 when they found out before the game they wouldn’t have McCaffrey for the opener against the New York Jets. By moving him into the backfield to take some of the workload off of Mason, they can either utilize Samuel’s rushing ability or design ways to get the ball in his hands in space to limit some of the damage done by between-the-tackles carries.

Then when the 49ers want to go back to 21, they can bring in Mason for Samuel and allow Samuel to get some plays off while Jennings stays on the field with WR Brandon Aiyuk. It’s tacking some touches onto Samuel’s plate, but it also opens the door to getting him some in-game rest to keep him healthy over the long-term (or at least until McCaffrey is back), while also ensuring Jennings continues getting an opportunity to be impactful.

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Will Jauan Jennings play more even with 49ers healthy at WR?

More Jauan Jennings? It’s a real possibility even with the 49ers receiving corps getting healthier.

It’s unlikely we’ll see the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan make any major schematic changes to their offense any time soon.

However, their injury issues have forced some players to jump into bigger roles and perhaps make a case for more playing time even after the injury situation improves.

No player embodied the ‘next man up’ mentality more than wide receiver Jauan Jennings in Week 3. With no Deebo Samuel at wide receiver and no George Kittle at tight end, Jennings played a career-high 60 snaps and turned in a remarkable 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown performance.

His outing brought up questions about how the 49ers would navigate the WR position when Samuel was healthy since they so often run two-receiver sets that leave Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk on the field. Shanahan was asked in a press conference Friday about the possibility of using more 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) in lieu of their typical 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end). He said that drastic change is unlikely, but more Jennings is a possibility.

“I’m always comfortable with Jauan,” Shanahan said. “But our, if we’re not going 11, it has nothing to do with always trying to get our best 11 people out there. Jauan, I think, has been one of our best 11 people since he’s been here. That usually more has to do with advantages of 21-personnel and things like that. But it’s a good problem to have. I want to get Jauan out there more. He’s that type of player. It doesn’t always mean that you go totally different with your scheme and everything, but you can always rotate him in more too.”

Jennings has acquitted himself well every time he’s stepped into any kind of role with the 49ers. Utilizing him more may allow the club to keep Samuel and Kittle healthier down the stretch of the season. Jennings doesn’t have a ton of miles on his body, and he’s a big, physical receiver who is excellent at pulling down contested catches. He’s also flashed some run-after-the-catch ability during his career.

It’s unlikely we’ll see another game any time soon where Jennings is getting 10-plus targets while Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle are all healthy. We can and should see more of him though considering how effective he is when he steps on the field. Don’t be surprised if his snap counts start to creep up and his production becomes a little more consistent.

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Jauan Jennings scores three touchdowns against Rams

Former Vol Jauan Jennings scores three touchdowns in NFL game for San Francisco.

The Rams (1-2) defeated San Francisco (1-2), 27-24, Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California during Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season.

Former Vol wide receiver Jauan Jennings totaled a career-high 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns for the 49ers. He eclipsed 100 receiving yards and scored three receiving touchdowns for the first time in the NFL.

Jennings has appeared in three games this season. He has recorded 18 receptions for 276 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Jennings played for Tennessee from from 2015-19 under head coaches Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt. He appeared in 48 games for the Vols and recorded 146 receptions for 2,153 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. The former Vol also recorded 93 rushing yards and one touchdown on 25 rushing attempts.

San Francisco selected Jennings in the seventh round (No. 217th overall) in the 2020 NFL draft. He was waived by the 49ers in Sept. 2020 and then later signed to the practice squad and injured reserve.

San Francisco will next play on Sept. 29 against New England. Kickoff is slated for 4:05 p.m. EDT at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Jauan Jennings going off for 49ers against Rams

Jauan Jennings will never forget his Week 3 game against the Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have not been able to cover San Francisco 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings on Sunday.

That would be the understatement of the season.

In the third quarter, Jennings had eight catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns as San Francisco led its NFC West rival, 21-14.

Amazing as it seems, Jennings’ best catch might not have gone for a score. Check out this grab in the third quarter.

Jauan Jennings makes up for 49ers injuries by himself

Make that a hat-trick for Jauan Jennings against the Rams.

Jauan Jennings has arrived.

With Deebo Samuel and George Kittle sidelined, the fourth-year wide receiver out of Tennessee broke out with a hat trick performance against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.

After catching a pair of touchdowns in the first half, Brock Purdy went right back to Jennings in the third quarter to make it a two-score ballgame in Los Angeles.

Purdy floated a pretty pass into the open arms of Jennings for a 31-yard touchdown.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1837979319332720709

Halfway through the third quarter, Jennings is leading the 49ers with six receptions for 102 yards and three touchdowns.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Brock Purdy magic leads to Jauan Jennings’ second TD vs. Rams

The Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings connection is rolling early in Los Angeles.

With multiple playmakers like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle sidelined in Week 3, Brock Purdy is leaning on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings early against the Los Angeles Rams.

After connecting for a wide-open 13-yard touchdown to start the game, Purdy went back to the Tennessee product on the 49ers’ second trip to the red zone.

Following a dance and a scramble to break free, the 49ers quarterback was able to find Jennings again in the back of the end zone for a touchdown strike. Purdy added a four-yard touchdown pass to Jennings’ impressive start against the Rams on Sunday.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

Early in the game, Jennings is leading the 49ers receivers with three catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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