Bennie Jauan Jennings ( ; born July 10, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Jennings attended Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He played quarterback in high school. A four-star recruit, Jennings committed to the University of Tennessee to play college football.
Jennings played at Tennessee from 2015 to 2019 under head coaches Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt. He converted to wide receiver in college.
In the 2015 season, Jennings was an instant contributor. In his collegiate debut against Bowling Green, Jennings had three receptions for 56 yards in the 59âÂÂ30 victory. Later on in the season, during a narrow 28âÂÂ27 loss to rival Florida, he showed off his dual-threat ability when he threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Joshua Dobbs on a trick play.
In the 2016 season, Jennings' role in the offense expanded. He recorded his first game with over 100 receiving yards with three receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown in a 38âÂÂ28 victory over Florida sealing an 18-point comeback for the Vols. The win was Tennessee's first over the Gators since the 2004 season. In the next game against rival Georgia, Jennings recorded the game-winning reception on a 43-yard Hail Mary from Dobbs to put the Vols 34âÂÂ31 with no time remaining. Jennings finished the 2016 season with 40 receptions for 580 yards and seven touchdowns.
In 2017, Jennings appeared in only one game due to a wrist injury but was dismissed from the team under interim head coach Brady Hoke later in the season. Jennings was reinstated for the next season by then-new head coach Jeremy Pruitt for the 2018 season. Jennings earned a medical redshirt for his time missed in the 2017 season.
In the 2018 season, Jennings appeared in 11 games and recorded 30 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns.
In the 2019 season, Jennings was a key contributor for the Vols during their 8âÂÂ5 season. He recorded four games with at least 100 receiving yards. Jennings's best output came in a victory against South Carolina, where he had seven receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, Jennings finished his senior season with 59 receptions for 969 yards and eight touchdowns.
During his collegiate career, Jennings had 146 receptions for 2,153 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Jennings was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round (217th overall) of the 2020 NFL draft. He was waived on September 5, but was signed to the practice squad the next day. Jennings was placed on the practice squad/injured list on October 24. He saw no playing time as a rookie and signed a reserve/future contract on January 4, 2021.
During Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jennings caught two passes for 17 yards and his first NFL touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo in the 17âÂÂ11 road victory. Over the course of the season, Jennings established himself as the 49ers' third wideout and had become an integral part of the offense by the end of November.
During a Week 12 34âÂÂ26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Jennings had two receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown. Three weeks later against the Atlanta Falcons, he caught three passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in the 31âÂÂ13 victory. In the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, Jennings recorded six receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns during the 27âÂÂ24 overtime road victory as the 49ers qualified for the playoffs.
Jennings finished his second professional season with 24 receptions with 282 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games and one start. Jennings made his postseason debut during the and finished the 23âÂÂ17 road victory with three receptions for 29 yards. In the against the Green Bay Packers, Jennings had a six-yard reception during the 13âÂÂ10 road victory. During the against the Rams, he recorded two receptions for eight yards in the 20âÂÂ17 road loss.
During the season-opening 19âÂÂ10 road loss to the Chicago Bears, Jennings was the leading receiver with four receptions for 62 yards. During Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints, he had six receptions for 49 yards and his only touchdown of the season in the 13âÂÂ0 shutout victory.
Jennings finished the 2022 season with 35 receptions for 416 yards and a touchdown in 16 games and four starts. The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 13âÂÂ4 record and qualified for the playoffs. During the against the Seattle Seahawks, Jennings recorded two receptions for 41 yards in the 41âÂÂ23 victory. In the against the Cowboys, he caught two passes for 26 yards during the 19âÂÂ12 victory.
On February 28, 2023, the 49ers placed an exclusive-rights tender on Jennings. He signed the tender on April 17.
During Week 3 against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, Jennings had two receptions for 51 yards in the 30âÂÂ12 victory. During a Week 7 22âÂÂ17 road loss to the Vikings on Monday Night Football, he caught five passes for 54 yards. During Week 13 against the Eagles, Jennings recorded three receptions for 44 yards and his only touchdown of the regular season in 42âÂÂ19 road victory.
Jennings finished the 2023 season with 19 receptions for 265 yards and a touchdown in 13 games and two starts. The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 12âÂÂ5 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #1-seed in the NFC. In the against the Packers, Jennings caught five passes for 61 yards during the 24âÂÂ21 victory. During the against the Detroit Lions, he had an eight-yard reception in the 34âÂÂ31 comeback victory as the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl LVIII. In the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jennings recorded four receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey during the 25âÂÂ22 overtime loss. Jennings became the second player in Super Bowl history to throw for a touchdown and catch a touchdown, joining Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII.
On March 11, 2024, the 49ers placed a tender on Jennings. On May 29, he signed a two-year, $15.4 million contract extension with the 49ers.
During the season-opening 32âÂÂ19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, Jennings was the leading receiver with five receptions for 64 yards. Two weeks later against the Rams, he had 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns in the 27âÂÂ24 road loss. In the next game against the New England Patriots, Jennings caught three passes for 88 yards during the 30âÂÂ13 victory.
During Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jennings recorded seven receptions for 93 yards in the 23âÂÂ20 road victory. In the next game against the Seahawks, he caught 10 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown during the 20âÂÂ17 loss. Three weeks later against the Bears, Jennings had seven receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns in the 38âÂÂ13 victory.
As a result of injuries sustained by several of the 49ers' most productive pass catchers, Jennings emerged as the team's leading wide receiver in 2024, recording a career-high 77 receptions for 975 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games and 10 starts. However, he was prevented from achieving his first-ever 1,000-yard season after getting ejected midway through the regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
Entering the final year of his contract, Jennings requested the 49ers to trade him during the offseason due to both sides failing to agree on a contract extension. On August 27, 49ers general manager John Lynch announced that Jennings would not be traded. Although both sides did not come to an agreement on a contract extension, they agreed to a contract restructure exactly a week later that increased the ceiling of Jennings' 2025 salary to $10.5 million by incorporating $3 million worth of play-time incentives.
During Week 2 against the Saints, Jennings had five receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown in the 26âÂÂ21 road victory. During a Week 8 26âÂÂ15 road loss to the Houston Texans, he was the leading receiver with four receptions for 45 yards. In the next game against the Giants, Jennings caught four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown during the 34âÂÂ24 road victory. The following week against the Rams, he recorded six receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown in the 42âÂÂ26 loss.
During a Week 12 20âÂÂ9 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football, Jennings caught five passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. In the next game against the Cleveland Browns, he had four receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown during the 26âÂÂ8 victory. After the game, Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris criticized Jennings in a post-game interview, accusing him of saying things during the game that "crossed the line" and referred to Jennings with a derogatory term while defending the reaction of Panthers players during a prior on-field altercation.
Following a Week 14 bye, the 49ers returned home to face the Tennessee Titans. Jennings finished the 37âÂÂ24 victory with three receptions for 37 yards and two touchdowns. In the next game against the Indianapolis Colts, he caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown during the 48âÂÂ27 road victory. The following week against the Bears on Sunday Night Football, Jennings recorded two receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown in the 42âÂÂ38 victory.
Jennings finished the 2025 season with 55 receptions for 643 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games and starts. The 49ers finished third in the NFC West with a 12âÂÂ5 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #6-seed. During the against the Eagles, Jennings had a 45-yard reception and threw a touchdown to Christian McCaffrey on a trick play in the 23âÂÂ19 road victory. Jennings became the first wide receiver in NFL history to have multiple passing touchdowns in a playoff career. In the against the Seahawks, he recorded two receptions for 23 yards during the 41âÂÂ6 road loss.