Why 49ers TE Kittle believes ‘violent’ Jennings is ‘1 of 1’ originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
When news broke that Jauan Jennings would be in Bay Area with the 49ers through at least the 2025 NFL season, the wide receiver was welcomed back — both in person at the 49ers facility and online by Faithful — with the widest open arms. .
But perhaps no one was as emotional as 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle.
“I think every person in the NFL who watches the tape, every general manager, every scout, anyone who watches the tape, looks at Jauan’s film and is like, ‘Holy cow, this guy is one of one,’” Kittle said. reporters Wednesday (h/t 49ers WebZone). “His mentality and attitude when he’s on a football field is completely different. He goes to that dark place that the coach [Kyle] Shanahan would talk to [former receiver] Pierre Garçon.
“He’s very violent in the way he plays, which you don’t see in all receivers. He will hit defensive ends as hard as he can. Of something. And if you need him to win in an individual rep, he will win in that individual rep. He has incredibly strong hands.
Jennings signed a new contract with San Francisco on Wednesday, that leaves him with the Red and Gold for the next two seasons. The 49ers originally signed Jennings as a restricted free agent this offseason to a one-year contract worth $4.89 million.
The 26-year-old’s new contract is worth up to $15.4 million over the next two seasons, with $10.5 million in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday, citing the agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus.
Alongside 49ers leading receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, Jennings has been a valuable asset to San Francisco’s offense — especially on third down, where his nickname “third and Jauan” was developed.
In addition to his skills and talent on the field, Kittle believes Jennings brings more to the team.
“For a guy that does it all, he runs the routes, runs the game, shows up every day, loving the game, with a great attitude every day,” Kittle said. “And then you get to game day, and he makes all these plays. This is someone you want to be in their building.
“This is someone you want to reward because he will continue to bring it every day and raise the standard of everyone around him. So when you have a guy like that, who does everything, it’s great for us. “
After losing the First week of organized 49ers team activitiesJennings participated in practice sessions this week.
And it’s clear that Kittle – above all else – is thrilled to have him back on the team.