SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Moments after San Francisco’s 20-9 victory over Carolina on Monday evening, 49ers huge receiver Jauan Jennings approached Panthers security Tre’von Moehrig and threw a fast, open-handed proper cross to Moehrig’s face.
The 2 gamers have been shortly separated, with Panthers linebacker Krys Barnes and 49ers senior director of participant engagement Austin Moss II intervening to maintain them aside.
As for what sparked the altercation, tv cameras confirmed Moehrig delivering a punch to Jennings’ groin space late within the sport. Jennings didn’t retaliate within the second and was seen pleading his case to the officers for a flag on Moehrig.
“I used to be simply responding to some infantile habits,” Jennings stated of his actions after the ultimate whistle.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan summed up Moehrig’s transfer as a “low-cost shot.”
“I used to be actually pleased with Jauan for not shedding his thoughts on the market and attending to the sideline,” Shanahan stated.
Jennings stated he did not anticipate the punch from Moehrig throughout the sport, however acknowledged it was doubtless the results of his penchant for taking part in via — and typically previous — the echo of the whistle.
“That was simply out of nowhere,” Jennings stated. “I believe it is most likely identical to I used to be saying, simply the historical past of me enjoying ball. I play laborious. I am bodily stronger than quite a lot of DBs on the market and quite a lot of issues occur in between the whistles. With me at the very least.”
As Jennings suspected, Moehrig and the Panthers took exception to his blocking fashion that always irritates and infrequently incites bodily altercations with opponents. Jennings was ejected from final season’s finale towards the Arizona Cardinals after choosing up a pair of pointless roughness penalties.
Moehrig, for his half, stated Jennings was pushing him within the again and “speaking loopy” to him throughout the sport.
“He was simply doing a little additional stuff after the play,” Moehrig stated. “I am going to take that one. It wasn’t simply frustration. It was remoted.”
Requested if his response was justified, Moehrig stated, “It’s what it’s.”
Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson added, “I ain’t bought nothing good to say about [No.] 15.”
Carolina coach Dave Canales stated he wanted to evaluation the movie and converse to Moehrig about what occurred.
“I am going to unravel that,” Canales stated. “I need to see precisely what occurred. I have not needed to probability to speak to Tre about that but. That’ll be a dialog.”
Moehrig acknowledged he “most definitely” will likely be fined for the punch he threw at Jennings.
Each gamers may additionally face a suspension. Detroit Lions security Brian Department was suspended one sport earlier this season for putting Kansas Metropolis Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after a sport ended. Department appealed however his suspension was upheld by league officer Jordy Nelson.
Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vp of soccer operations, wrote in a letter to Department that his “aggressive, non-football act was completely unwarranted, posed a severe threat of harm and clearly violated the requirements of conduct and sportsmanship anticipated of NFL gamers.”
ESPN’s David Newton contributed to this report.