Monday Night Football this week wasn’t exactly filled with excitement during the game itself. But things got a bit fiery right after the final whistle. 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings and Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig got into a bit of a scuffle after the game ended.
San Francisco had just beaten Carolina 20-9, and as the players were shaking hands, Jennings suddenly swung at Moehrig. Security quickly stepped in and broke things up before it could get worse.
The tension boiled over because of something that happened earlier in the game. Cameras caught Moehrig hitting Jennings low, right below the belt, after a play. The hit wasn’t flagged during the game, but now both players might be hearing from the league about it.
After the dust settled, Jennings and Moehrig both shared their side of the story. Even 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan chimed in, saying Moehrig took a “cheap shot” on Jennings.
Jennings explained: “The TV is going to tell you what happened, man. I was just responding to some childish behavior. That’s all it was.”
He even cracked a joke at the end of his media interview, showing he wasn’t taking things too seriously.
Moehrig said Jennings was “talking crazy,” which led to the whole thing blowing up. “It just manifested,” he said. “He wanted to do some stuff after the play, talking crazy, so that’s all there is to it.”
He also mentioned that Jennings pushed him in the back after a play. Moehrig stressed they don’t have any previous bad blood between them.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said he plans to have a chat with Moehrig once he gets a chance to review the game tape. “I'll talk to him tonight,” Canales said. “I'll have a chance to look at the film and see what happened.”
This isn’t the first time players have gotten in trouble for fights this season. Two guys have already been suspended for punching opponents, Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch and Washington Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne. Branch’s punch happened after a game, and Payne’s happened during a game.
So, it’s possible Jennings could face a suspension, too. At the minimum, he’s likely to get fined, and Moehrig could be fined as well.
We’ll have to wait and see what kind of punishment the NFL hands down after they review this heated moment between Jennings and Moehrig.