San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings has revealed that he threw a punch at Carolina Panthers safety Tre’Von Moehrig after the game on Monday night, following what he called a “cheap shot” to his groin. The incident occurred late in the 49ers’ 20-9 victory, with television cameras capturing Moehrig striking Jennings in a sensitive area.
Jennings did not retaliate immediately, but after the final whistle he approached Moehrig, hitting him in the helmet and shoving him. Jennings had to be restrained as the teams left the field. “I was just responding to some childish behaviour,” Jennings said.
Moehrig claimed his punch was in response to physical play after the whistle and trash-talking throughout the match. “He was pushing me in the back and stuff,” Moehrig said. “I’ll take that one. He wanted to do a little dirty stuff, so … It is what it is.”
The NFL announced on Tuesday that Moehrig has been suspended for one game without pay for his actions. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan praised Jennings for not overreacting, calling Moehrig’s actions a “cheap shot.” Panthers coach Dave Canales said he would discuss the matter with Moehrig after reviewing the footage.
