Getty

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Miami Dolphins knew that after cutting ties with Tyreek Hill and trading Jaylen Waddle, they needed to bolster the wideout group for their new QB, Malik Willis. In the draft, they selected five pass-catchers (three wide receivers and two tight ends) to ensure Willis has weapons.

Moreover, it didn’t appear as though the Dolphins were done with adding to their wideout group. On May 8, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared that Miami was one of the teams interested in signing Jauan Jennings before he made his decision to sign elsewhere.

“The interesting thing is I was told that there were a few other teams,” Schefter said during a May 8 appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.” “I can go back and get the exact list. I think it was the Dolphins, the Commanders. There was somebody else that was interested.

“The Vikings were the only team, I believe he wound up visiting at all. That was the only one. The other teams, the Chiefs and Commanders also were interested in Jauan Jennings. New Orleans also expressed a little interest.”

Last season with the 49ers, Jennings posted a 68.3 overall PFF grade, finishing with 55 catches on 88 targets for 643 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 11.7 yards per reception. He added 180 yards after the catch and was credited with three drops over the course of the season.

Jauan Jennings Chose to Sign With a Playoff Contender

Jennings signed a one-year contract worth up to $13 million with the Minnesota Vikings, agent Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter. He’ll be WR3 on a team with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as Minnesota have aspirations to be a playoff team this 2026 NFL season. 

With the Dolphins, Jennings could’ve been the go-to wideout, given how young the group is, but he would have also been entering that mentoring role, as Miami is in a rebuild. Nonetheless, it appears he might have wanted to remain playing for a team that is a potential playoff contender.

Jennings has spent his whole NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers. As a result, being part of rebuilds isn’t something that he’s experienced, so maybe he wasn’t willing to be a part of it.

Dolphins Still Urged to Bolster WR Group

Now, for the Dolphins, it will be interesting to see if they look at other veteran wideouts who might be a good fit, especially as a mentor for the group.

While CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan believes that Jennings was a fit for the team, you can still argue that his claims as to why Miami could be looking at a veteran wideout still stand despite losing out on Jennings.

“The Dolphins really don’t have a lot in [the wideout] position group at the moment,“ Sullivan said during a May 4 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “Obviously, they went into the NFL Draft on Day 2 and used the third round to address that position with Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell.

“Chris Bell is coming off a torn ACL, though, so there are question marks at that wide receiver spot for the Miami Dolphins. Malik Washington is the known veteran coming back from a year ago.”

It will be interesting to see if any free-agent wideout would pique the Dolphins’ interest, or whether the front office is ready to roll with what they have and go from there.