Going back to his college days at Peyton Manning's alma mater, wide receiver Jauan Jennings has been an outspoken player who can be somewhat divisive. He is a free agent now, though, so should the Indianapolis Colts take a chance on signing him?
That is what CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles suggests in a recent article about how to improve each NFL team's needs with an available free agent. Indy does have a need at wide receiver after trading Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason, but not replacing him.
Jennings does fit the Pittman mold. Both are more possession receivers than explosive types. The former San Francisco 49ers wideout is not Alec Pierce, for instance. He does have a solid catch rate over his five-year career, and he had nine touchdown receptions in 2025, but no one should think he's going to have a 1,200-yard year.
Indianapolis Colts should think twice about potentially signing Jauan Jennings
More importantly, how will his attitude affect the Indy locker room, one that is likely to be fairly high-stress next season, as the players and coaches have to know that the team needs to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, or there could be lots of changes?
The wide receiver has been praised by his teammates for his high-energy approach to the sport and his feistiness on the field, but opponents have had issues with him being overly physical and combative at times. While it can be great to have someone like that on your side, that tendency to violence can also turn inward to the team.
That might be one reason that Jennings hasn't re-signed with the 49ers, and hasn't signed anywhere else either. The issue is that all that anger has to go somewhere, and Jennings' attitude might not be something that head coach Shane Steichen wants in his locker room.
Pereles wrote, "But behind (Alec Pierce and Josh Downs), there's not much (talent); the current starting wideout opposite Pierce appears to be Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Jennings is far and away the best free agent wide receiver available."
That last statement has been written by many, but it might be more telling about the value of the wide receiver free agent market this year than the greatness of Jauan Jennings. He is basically the wideout version of linebacker Zaire Franklin, whom the Indianapolis Colts traded this offseason.
Both players are vocal about their opinions, sometimes thinking more about how they feel to the general public than keeping those thoughts in the locker room and hashing out issues within the team concept. Franklin was solid on the field, but had his flaws (poor in coverage, for one), and Jennings is of the same ilk.
Jauan Jennings will catch his share of 50/50 balls, but isn't going to break off a lot of splashy throws deep down the field, and is more of a WR2 than WR1, but he appears to want to be paid like the former. If that is the case, the Colts shouldn't take the risk of signing him.