Carolina Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig has been suspended one game for punching San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the groin toward the end of Monday night’s game, the NFL announced on Tuesday.
Jennings retaliated at the conclusion of the 49ers’ 20-9 win over the Panthers by striking Moehrig, with the two sides separated before the incident could escalate.
Moehrig is appealing his ban, according to multiple reports. If his suspension stands, he will miss the Panthers’ game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Moehrig said after the game that Jennings had been ‘doing some extra stuff after the play and talking crazy.’
“It ain’t really nothing much to it – it’s just that,’ Moehrig told reporters after the game. ‘Like I said, I’ll take that one. He wanted to do his little dirty stuff, so it is what it is.”
Jennings said he was responding to ‘childish behavior’ which he believed was a response to his physical play.
‘That was just out of nowhere,’ Jennings said. ‘I think it’s probably just like I was saying, just the history of me playing ball. I play hard. I’m physically stronger than a lot of DBs out there and a lot of things happen in between the whistles, with me at least.’
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan lauded Jennings for how the receiver handled what he called a ‘cheap shot.’
‘I was real proud of Jauan for not losing his mind out there,’ Shanahan said.
Moehrig joined the Panthers this offseason on a three-year, $51 million contract. The fifth-year safety ranks second on the team with 81 tackles.