After missing most of training camp and the preseason due to a calf injury, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings returned to the practice field earlier this week and was rewarded with a reworked contract.

While Jennings was reportedly looking for a long-term deal averaging $20 million annually, he’ll have an opportunity to earn an extra $3 million in 2025 and to prove that his career year last season (77 receptions, 975 yards and six touchdowns) wasn’t a fluke.

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Jennings spoke to the media on Thursday in the locker room for the first time since agreeing to the reworked deal, and his reaction was priceless.

“I love money. Do you love money? I love money,” Jennings said.

If Jennings succeeds as one of San Francisco’s top wide receivers early in 2025, especially while Brandon Aiyuk (PUP) and Jacob Cowing (IR) are recovering from injuries, he’ll set himself up to earn a lot more in the future. That could come in the form of a long-term commitment from the 49ers before the seasons over or at the end of the year when he’s set to hit the open market for the first time in his career.

However, if Jennings reverts to the production he had through the first three seasons of his NFL career (78 receptions for 963 yards and seven touchdowns in 45 games), it may be another story.

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Either way, the 49ers need Jennings to be the best version of himself in 2025 if they want to recover from their horrendous 6-11 campaign last year, even if that means that he plays himself into a big contract elsewhere in the offseason. That would probably be the best case scenario for all sides. San Francisco would have a much better season, and the wideout would get paid what he deserves.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers WR Jauan Jennings shared relatable reaction to reworked contract