Over the past several seasons, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been striking gold. Trades, draft picks, coaching hires. He has been nailing them all. That’s how you win GM of the Year. That’s how you win the Super Bowl.
Will Schneider be able to keep his streak of success alive in 2026? According to one recent analysis, the Seahawks have five of the league’s fifty top pending free agents this offseason. There is a real chance that key players like Kenneth Walker III, Rashid Shaheed, Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Boye Mafe could be wearing a different uniform next year.
Those were the Seahawks identified by Gilberto Mazano and Matt Verderame of SI.com in their discussion of where each of the NFL's top fifty free agents is likely to land when the new league year begins next week. The writers named Walker and Bryant as the most likely to return to Seattle, while the other three were linked to other franchises.
Could the 49ers' Jauan Jennings be the Seattle Seahawks' new WR2?
They also linked one of the top fifty UFAs from outside to the Seahawks. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who has played his entire five-year career for Seattle’s NFC West rival San Francisco, was named as a potential new Seahawk.
There is a lot to like about the potential for John Schneider adding Jauan Jennings. First and foremost, he is a beast on the field.
Jennings looks and plays even bigger than his listed 6’3”, 212 pounds. He can dominate in contested catch situations due to his size and strength, and he is difficult for defensive backs to tackle. Though not fast – his poor 40 time in college led to him dropping into the final round of the 2020 draft – Jennings can generate yards downfield
On an offense with a lot of firepower, the Tennessee grad gradually worked his way up the 49ers’ depth chart. In 2024, he was second only to George Kittle in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns. Last year, he led the club in touchdown catches with nine.
This followed the same trajectory of his college career, steadily making himself a more essential part of the offense. He was transitioning to wide receiver after playing quarterback in high school and didn’t make a big mark right away. But by his final season, he was a dynamic force on the outside.
The flipside to the Jauan Jennings experience was made apparent in a game against Carolina last November. Late in the contest, Panthers’ safety Trevor Moehrig punched the 49ers’ receiver in the groin. While no one said Moehrig was in the right, several players said they understood what was happening.
Jauaun Jennings talks a lot of trash on the field, and to some players, he crosses the line. Not many players in the league get under the skin like Jauan Jennings.
Jennings was fined for retaliating against Moehrig after the game. It was his second major fine in the 2025 calendar year after receiving one for overly aggressive blocking in a game against Detroit back in January. Jennings is a relentless player and an excellent blocker. He also plays on the edge and sometimes gets himself in trouble as a result.
Does Seattle want a player like that? I would think so.
The SI.com article projects a two-year/30 million dollar deal for Jennings. That is a good value for a quality WR2. Comparing his production to Cooper Kupp over the past few seasons, it would seem that the younger Jennings would be a significant upgrade for Seattle.
He catches more balls, generates more first downs and touchdowns, and has a significantly better depth-of-target number. His catch rate and drop rate are comparable to the reliable Kupp, and as mentioned, he is a dynamic blocker.
Envisioning Jennings lining up with All-Pro Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a presumably healthy Tory Horton would give Seattle a potent trio of wideouts.
Given his reputation, the determining factor may end up being how good a cultural fit Jennings would be, and it just so happens that Seattle now has the perfect resource to make that judgement. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury has seen Jennings up close and personal during his entire professional career.
As tight ends coach and run game coordinator with the 49ers, Fluery did not necessarily coach the receiver, but he certainly worked closely with him.
Of course, the Seahawks have seen Jennings on the field twice a year as well. That is a bonus to a potential signing. They would be taking away one of their rival’s best offensive weapons.
There are obviously pros and cons to signing Jauan Jennings. Kupp isn’t going anywhere in 2026, and if Horton does indeed return at full strength, the receiver room gets crowded. But Jennings is a rare talent. And if the writers at SI.com are correct, he might just be wearing a Seahawks jersey come September.