Kyle Shanahan defended Jauan Jennings after a heated Monday Night Football incident against the Carolina Panthers. The 49ers head coach backed his wide receiver following a postgame altercation with Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig.
Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the sideline during the first half of a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the sideline during the first half of a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
San Francisco defeated Carolina 20-9 on November 24, 2025. However, the night ended with punches thrown and players being separated at midfield after the final whistle.
Kyle Shanahan praises Jauan Jennings after groin punch and postgame retaliation
Kyle Shanahanstated, “The guy took a cheap shot and hit him in the balls,” when explaining what happened. He added, “I was real proud of Jauan for not losing his mind out there and getting to the sideline” during his postgame media conference.
After the final whistle, Jennings walked over to Moehrig and hit him in the helmet before giving him a shove. Multiple staffers had to hold Jennings back from going after the Panthers safety again. They eventually brought Jennings to the ground to prevent further escalation.
#49ers WR Jauan Jennings and #Panthers DB Tre’von Moehrig were JAWING after the game. Discipline likely coming for both: pic.twitter.com/mXCinbm4u5
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) November 25, 2025
Jennings told reporters, “Man, TV is gonna tell you what happened,” when asked about the incident. He described it as “I was just responding to me some childish behavior” during his locker room comments.
Moehrig explained, “It ain’t really much to it, bro” when speaking with reporters postgame. He said, “he wanted to do a little dirty stuff, so it is what it is, man,” about why he punched Jennings. Moehrig acknowledged that he likely will be fined for his actions.
Carolina coach Dave Canales said he wants to talk to Moehrig about what took place. Canales stated, “I’ll get to the bottom of that,” and “I want to see what exactly happened” since he hadn’t reviewed the film yet.
The NFL is looking into the altercations between Jennings and Moehrig, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. Both players will likely face fines and possibly suspensions for their conduct. The league is likely to issue fines and possibly more punishment to both players.
From @gmfb: The NFL is reviewing Monday night’s altercations between Tre’von Moehrig and Jauan Jennings for potential discipline, plus the latest on Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/ovDkXzWApE
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 25, 2025
Detroit’s Brian Branch was suspended for one game earlier this season after punching Kansas City receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after the game ended. NFL VP Jon Runyan wrote that Branch’s “aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury” in the suspension letter. That precedent suggests Jennings could face similar discipline.
Jennings had the game’s first touchdown, a 12-yard scoring pass delivered by Brock Purdy. The wideout finished with five catches for 41 yards, while Moehrig had eight tackles in the contest.
The 49ers hope the NFL takes Moehrig’s punch during the game into account when reviewing everything. San Francisco doesn’t need to lose one of their best receivers for the upcoming games. However, given recent precedent with similar postgame incidents, some form of punishment appears likely for both players involved.