San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings always seems to have a smile on his face. He's excited and eager to return to the football field. It's unknown how much Jennings will play on Saturday against the Denver Broncos, if he plays at all. What will his role be if he can't get into the game?
"If I'm not playing, being me, being Jauan," Jennings told reporters after Thursday's practice, the last before the 49ers host the Denver Broncos for a Saturday preseason matchup. "That's just smiling. That's just having fun. That's picking up other guys when they're down. They're going to pick me up when I'm down. And that's it. That's just being a great teammate."
Even if he doesn't play in the preseason, the receiver hopes to be a significant contributor this season, hauling in passes from quarterback Brock Purdy.
Purdy underwent surgery in March to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. The 49ers cleared him to practice at the start of training camp, much earlier than most expected. Jennings was happy to see his second-year quarterback return to the practice field after enduring a lengthy recovery.
Purdy remains on track to be the 49ers' Week 1 starter. It's unclear if he will get any preseason snaps before then.
"I checked up on Brock every now and then during his recovery, and it's been going great. And that's all I kept hearing," Jennings said. "And seeing Brock come out there, it meant a lot to see what he's going through. And now he's back out there throwing it. You know, Brock Star. We love him out there."
Jennings didn't want to leave out his other quarterbacks, though. He believes the 49ers' quarterback room, which consists of Purdy, Trey Lance, Sam Darnold, and Brandon Allen, is strengthened by healthy competition.
"That goes for all the quarterbacks, though," Jennings continued. "They're all out there competing against each other, making each other better each day. We've seen all three quarterbacks make great throws."
After Saturday's game, the 49ers will close out their preseason against the Los Angeles Chargers on August 25. Then, the team will begin preparing for its September 10 regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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