Is Jauan Jennings a very good football player? Undoubtedly. Is he the NFL’s Kevin Durant? Well, in this one very specific case and excluding everything else… no. The answer is still no.
And yet, we have to ask ourselves this question because Jennings feels like Kevin Durant as he enters his first season away from the San Francisco 49ers. The man whose clutchness gave Niners fans “third-and-Jauan” lingered on the free agent marketplace before signing a one-year, $8 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings in May. That leaves him as a possible WR3 behind the already established Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Or, to hear Jennings tell it, the Durant to their Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
#Vikings WR Jauan Jennings on his fit with Minnesota:
“It’s awesome! I feel like Kevin Durant with the Warriors. … Big 3, man. You know what I’m saying? Just a lot of talent here.” https://t.co/v502Ni2ur4pic.twitter.com/RKsn6kQnOY
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 28, 2026
Ok, phew, let’s parse this one out. In terms of wideout depth alone, there’s some logic here. The Vikings have two entrenched young receivers who are consistent 1,000-yard threats. Before struggling with injury in 2025, Jennings was on the brink of a breakthrough in a 975-yard 2024 campaign. Minnesota’s pass-catching trio is arguably the best in the league, much like Golden State’s outside shooting was arguably the best in the league after adding Durant.
On the other hand… my friend, Kevin Durant is 16-time All-Star and 12 time All-NBA honoree. Jauan Jennings is a zero-time Pro Bowler who hasn’t even cracked the top 50 players in *fantasy* football in a single season. The two are not the same. It’s like comparing prime rib to… weird brother of prime rib.
Still, you can’t fault Jennings’ enthusiasm. He took a pay cut to be the third wideout on a team that featured some of 2025’s worst quarterbacking. He understands he can be a rising tide for an offense in need of playmakers and he’s excited to make the most of it. That’s all great.
Even if it’s not Kevin Durant great.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jauan Jennings ‘feel(s) like Kevin Durant’ as a Viking, despite, uh…
