Terrell Owens knows a thing or two about evaluating NFL wide receivers. The Hall of Famer began his career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1996, earning six Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro honors during his playing days.
Owens recently shared high praise for 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who put together a breakout season in 2024. Jennings hauled in 77 receptions for 975 yards and six touchdowns—a career-best performance. He likely would have surpassed 1,000 receiving yards if not for being ejected from the regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2024, the 49ers signed Brandon Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million contract extension. However, Owens believes Jennings might have deserved that kind of financial commitment more.
"Look at what Jauan Jennings did this past year," Owens said on Bay Area radio station KNBR this week. "Again, going into the season, early on in the season when there was obviously a contract situation going on with Brandon Aiyuk, you saw that Jauan Jennings played like a $30 million [per year] receiver."
TERRELL OWENS: "Jauan Jennings played like a 30 million dollar receiver [this season]. He's the one who probably should have been getting paid the big bucks."
(via @knbrmurph & @MarkusBoucher) pic.twitter.com/B7dAqKKM19
— KNBR (@KNBR) February 4, 2025
Jennings is entering the final year of his current two-year contract, which he signed in May 2024. He's set to count just $4.26 million against the salary cap in 2025, making him a potential bargain for the 49ers.
"He's the one that probably should've been getting paid the big bucks," Owens added. "But he's put himself in position to make a lot of money down the road. I know he has another year under his contract."
Jennings has become a fan favorite, and the 49ers likely hope to keep him around beyond the upcoming season. This year, he showcased his versatility by stepping in for the injured Aiyuk while continuing to play with his signature fiery intensity.
"Doesn't matter whether the ball is in his hands," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in December. "He's running around or he's blocking, doesn't matter whether it's a deep throw, an underneath throw in practice or in games. Jauan is always just going 100 miles an hour and playing as physical as he can."
H/t to Zach Ragan of A to Z Sports for the find.
Comments