The San Francisco 49ers this week ended a contract impasse with Jauan Jennings, signing him to a two-year deal to ensure that quarterback Brock Purdy will have one of his most dependable targets on the roster through the 2025 season.
Jennings on Wednesday signed a deal worth $15.4 million, including $10.5 million guaranteed, having previously elected not to sign his second-round restricted free agent tender.
The full details of that contract have now been released, revealing that the deal, which is akin to a one-year extension, will also have an impact in the short term in increasing the 49ers’ financial flexibility for 2024.
Had he signed his tender, Jennings would have earned a base salary of $4.89 million. Instead, his cap hit for the 2024 season will be just $2.77 million, creating over $2 million in salary cap space for the Niners to use this year.
They have engineered that additional room through the use of a familiar mechanism. Jennings’ deal features $8.435 million in fully guaranteed money, with $6.21 million of that taking the form of a prorated signing bonus. That signing bonus is not simply spread over two years, though. The 49ers have tacked on four additional void years for the proration of Jennings’ signing bonus and a $5.605 million option bonus, which is due in the second year of his contract.
