The San Francisco 49ers made some big moves this offseason. Coming off a disappointing season in 2024, the 49ers took a hard look at their roster and decided who was worth keeping around. WR Deebo Samuel Sr. was traded to the Washington Commanders, while Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings will headline the San Francisco receiving corps in 2025.
The problem for San Francisco is the health of their receivers. Aiyuk is still recovering from a season-ending injury last season. Pearsall was dealing with an injury on the PUP list before recently being activated, and Jennings suffered a setback during training camp due to his calf injury.
An Update on Jauan Jennings’ Calf Injury
Unfortunately for the 49ers, Jennings suffered a setback with his calf injury. He initially dealt with a calf problem during the previous offseason workouts but was cleared to practice at the start of training camp. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Jennings couldn’t finish practice at training camp because of the calf injury he had previously been working to get over.
#49ers WR Jauan Jennings is dealing with a calf issue that prevented him from finishing practice today, per Kyle Shanahan pic.twitter.com/1ZCy9raqyy
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) July 27, 2025
With Samuel’s departure, the 49ers will need Jennings to produce at a high level. Coming off a career year in 2024, he recorded career highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Losing Jennings would be problematic for the receiving corps, as the unit’s health isn’t in a good place right now.
The 49ers activated Ricky Pearsall from the PUP list, which is a good sign for San Francisco as they get one of their receivers back. But right now, Aiyuk is still not practicing due to his injury, and Jennings is dealing with his lingering calf problems. The 49ers are looking thin at the WR spot entering preseason play.
Ricky Pearsall activated from PUP list, per @nwagoner.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) July 27, 2025
With Aiyuk a question mark for Week 1 and Pearsall a young, unproven WR, Jennings will need to find a way to get healthy by the season opener. After his excellent play in the 2024 season, Jennings will see a significant role in the 2025 offense. With Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams healthy, the San Francisco offense should see more stability and be a multi-dimensional threat if the receivers stay healthy.
During the offseason, Jennings’ future was also questioned, throwing another wrench in the plan. Jennings was reportedly looking for a new deal after his career year, but didn’t hold out or formally request a trade from San Francisco. The 49ers need to keep him around to give their newly paid franchise QB, Brock Purdy, enough weapons to succeed.
The 49ers are looking to prove that last year was a fluke. After receiving some great news with Pearsall returning, the Jennings injury will dampen the mood. But if Jennings returns by Week 1, all should be well, and the 49ers will look to make a statement against the Seahawks in their season opener.
