When Kyle Shanahan has been asked about an injured player this summer, the San Francisco 49ers head coach has offered a timeline for their return.
Cornerback Renardo Green’s strained hamstring? Shanahan said it would keep him out multiple weeks. Running back Jordan James’ knee issue? About a week. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was “day to day” after he suffered a cut on his Achilles tendon, running back Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) would miss a “few weeks,” defensive end Sam Okuayinonu (groin) was out a “couple weeks” and defensive tackle Kevin Givens (pectoral) wouldn’t return “for a while.”
There’s more. But you get the idea. Now get this: There’s been one exception – wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who left practice with a calf injury on July 27.
On July 31, Shanahan was asked if he had a timeline for Jennings’ return.
“I don’t have one,” he said.
On Monday, he was asked if he had an update on Jennings’ status.
“Same thing with his calf,” he said.
Shanahan’s answers have invited speculation: Is Jennings also dealing with bruised feelings?
Jennings, of course, was reportedly poised to request a trade if he didn’t receive a contract extension by the start of training camp. When Jennings reported with his teammates on July 22, Shanahan said Jennings hadn’t requested a trade and Jennings participated in the first three practices with his trademark energy and enthusiasm before exiting the fourth session early.
Shanahan was asked for clarification Monday. Was Jennings’ absence related to his contract?
“You can ask him that, but he tells me it’s his calf and the calf shows,” Shanahan said. “So, got to be delicate with those calves.”
It’s true that calf strains can linger and can be a sign of a larger issue. Shanahan said Jennings’ current injury is to the same calf that also sidelined him in June. General manager John Lynch noted on KNBR on Thursday that Jennings strained his calf in the offseason and said such injuries can be stubborn, while adding that the 49ers keep contract talks “behind the scenes.”
During last year’s training camp, running back Christian McCaffrey was sidelined with what Shanahan termed a calf strain, and McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the regular season with Achilles tendinitis. When McCaffrey was first injured, however, Shanahan still offered a timeline for his return, saying he expected McCaffrey to miss “a couple weeks.”
His failure to do so with Jennings comes with Jennings in the final year of a two-year, $15.4 million contract he signed last year. At the time, it appeared to be a generous deal for a hard-nosed, rugged-blocking pass catcher who averaged 26 catches and 321 yards and scored seven touchdowns in his first three seasons. However, Jennings was thrust into a larger role last season due to injuries and had 77 catches for 977 yards and six touchdowns.
Jennings now wants bigger paychecks to reward his increased production. The 49ers’ stance? Shanahan has likened Jennings’ situation to that of right tackle Colton McKivitz, who is in the final year of his contract after signing a one year, $5.85 million extension in 2024. McKivitz has started all 17 games each of the past two seasons and has outperformed a contract that ranks 25th among right tackles in average annual salary.
Last month, Shanahan said the 49ers valued both McKivitz and Jennings and suggested they wanted to keep them beyond 2025 with extensions.
“I think the way they feel about us is the same way we feel about them,” Shanahan said. “You know, that’s the easy part. The hard part’s the business side … We’ve got a great relationship with these guys. Those two guys, that does make sense. We can do everything we can to make that work out, but it’s not always easy to make it work out. So we’ll see how that goes.”
So Jennings’ absence could simply be due to a bum calf, or it could have something to do with business. Jennings does appear to have leverage with the wide receiver corps poised to open the season without Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Demarcus Robinson, who is expected to receive a suspension due to a DUI arrest after signing a two-year, $9.5 million deal in March.
Former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman weighed in on Jennings’ situation on social media this week. Sherman did so after he watched the 49ers practice on Monday and recorded podcasts with a group of players that included his former teammate, tight end George Kittle.
The end of Sherman’s career was hastened by calf and Achilles issues. While discussing Jennings, he noted calf injuries can be “nagging” and “take a while” to heal. However, Sherman also referenced Jennings’ leverage and speculated that the mystery surrounding his absence might disappear if he received more money.
“I think they might have to appease him,” Sherman said. “And I think once they do, there’s a chance he’s back in practice that day. I don’t know. It kind of seems that way, though.”