The San Francisco 49ers have been banged up at wide receiver a lot this season. They got more troubling news on this front when Jauan Jennings was limited in practice on Thursday and is officially questionable for the Week 11 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
It is unclear whether Jennings sustained the injury during practice or if this is something he has been dealing with all week and potentially originated in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
No matter what, it is not great news. Quarterback Brock Purdy has relied on Jennings all season long, and he is clearly one of the quarterback’s most trusted targets on offense. Thus far in 2024, Jennings has caught 32 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns. He has put up those impressive numbers despite missing two games with a hip injury.
Unfortunately, the wide receiver room has seen many injuries. Brandon Aiyuk is out the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Deebo Samuel has been banged up at times but has only missed one game. Of course, rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest back in August but is miraculously back at full strength and is playing well for the Niners.
If Jennings is unable to go, Pearsall is going to have to step up in a big way. He has already had to step up due to the injury to Aiyuk, but he would become one of Purdy’s top three targets in Jennings is out against Seattle.
One can only hope Jennings is good to go in Week 11. He is a key threat on third downs and provides a lot even when he does not have the ball in his hands with the way he blocks. Losing him would hurt even more in a game that feels like a must-win for the 49ers. They trail the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West, and losing a game to Seattle would hurt as they try to make up ground in the division.
The ankle injury is certainly not a great sign, but let’s hope that Jennings is still able to suit up on Sunday. The Niners are going to need all hands on deck going against a Seattle squad that will also be treating the game as a must-win, so having Jennings on the field would be huge.
