49ers run double-pass to Jauan Jennings, Christian McCaffrey for Super Bowl’s 1st touchdown

After eight combined drives by the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs led to a total of just three points, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan turned to some trickery for the game’s first touchdown, the reason the 49ers were up 10-3 at the half.

San Francisco ran a double-pass with Gilbert-native Brock Purdy throwing left to receiver Jauan Jennings who found running back Christian McCaffrey on the opposite side of the field with a convoy of blockers, and McCaffrey did the rest.

WHAT. A. PLAY.

📺: #SBLVIII on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/dClcEDViWl pic.twitter.com/F51rGyVbd0

— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2024

Jennings was a higher-rated quarterback in high school (No. 165 overall and No. 6 dual-threat quarterback in 2016) than both of the starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl but transitioned to playing receiver while at Tennessee.

Purdy was the No. 839 overall player and No. 36 pro-style quarterback in 2018 while Pat Mahomes was ranked as the No. 389 overall player and No. 22 pro-style quarterback in 2014.

Purdy matched Mahomes in the first half as each threw for 123 yards with no touchdowns after Jennings threw the lone touchdown of the game.

In the lead-up to the Super Bowl, Jennings was asked if he lobbies Shanahan for quarterback reps, but laughed off the question.

“Nah man, I just do my job,” Jennings said.

The San Francisco touchdown did bear some eerie resemblance to a touchdown that Jennings threw while in his first season at Tennessee.

Kyle Shanahan went back into the film room and used the Jauan Jennings TD pass.

Looked somewhat familiar #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/TDgG8Dwibd

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) February 12, 2024