San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings and Carolina Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig got into a postgame altercation after the Niners’ 20-9 win on “Monday Night Football.”
Jennings approached Moehrig on the field after the game and threw two open-handed punches toward Moehrig’s face. Carolina linebacker Krys Barnes pushed Jennings away to initially break it up before San Francisco staff and teammates came in to hold Jennings back.
However, Jennings said his actions were a result of an earlier hit from Moehrig. Tensions rose in the final few minutes of the game, and replay showed that Moehrig appeared to throw a punch below Jennings’ belt after a play was over.
“The TV is gonna tell you what happened,” Jennings said. “To me, I was just responding to some childish behavior.
“I play hard. I’m physically stronger than a lot of DBs.”
Moehrig said he expects he’ll get fined for the low hit and that Jennings was talking trash and pushed him in the back. He said he doesn’t have any history with Jennings, but the frustration “manifested” throughout Monday night.
“There really ain’t nothing much to it, bro. It was just that,” Moehrig said. “I’ll take that one. He wanted to do a little dirty stuff, so it is what it is, man.”
It is likely the league will review the interactions between Jennings and Moehrig, and postgame altercations can cause suspensions. Earlier this season, the NFL suspended Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch for one game after he instigated a scuffle with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“The guy took a cheap shot and hit him in the balls,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after Monday’s game. “Real proud of Jauan (Jennings) for not losing his mind out there and getting to the sideline.”
Panthers coach Dave Canales said of the incident: “I’ll get to the bottom of that. I want to see exactly what happened. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Tre (Moehrig) about that yet, as you know, just been kind of talking to the team and wrapping up the day, but that will be a conversation that I’ll try to dig into.”
Sportsmanship has also been a point of emphasis for the league. Most recently, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase was suspended for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey — the second spitting-related suspension of the season.
Moehrig was asked how he would respond to people who might perceive him as a dirty player from the incident: “I mean nothing ever dirty in my game has ever been like that unless it was, you know, kind of, earned, you know what I’m saying?”
The 49ers were victorious after a sloppy night of football that included five turnovers between the two teams. Jennings was targeted seven times and made five catches for 41 yards. He also caught the opening score for the 49ers on a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Purdy.
Jennings’ parting words from the Levi’s Stadium locker room: “Y’all have a good night. Don’t get hit in the nuts.”
