Carolina Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig has been suspended one game without pay after punching San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the groin during the final minutes of Monday night’s matchup. The league reviewed multiple angles of the incident and ruled the strike a violation of its unsportsmanlike conduct policy.
The punch occurred late in the fourth quarter as the Panthers trailed 20 to 9. Jennings was seen walking away from the play when Moehrig stepped toward him and delivered the shot. Cameras caught Jennings immediately reacting, shouting, “Come on, man! That’s what you’re doing now?”
The two crossed paths again after the game near midfield, where tensions briefly escalated. Teammates and staff pulled both players apart as words flew back and forth. According to those close to the confrontation, Jennings yelled, “That was childish. You know that wasn’t football.”
Reporters later caught Moehrig in the tunnel, where he offered his own explanation: “He kept pushing me in the back and running his mouth. I snapped. I’ll take the punishment.”
Jennings rejected any suggestion he provoked it. “He punched me for no reason. You don’t do that in this league,” the receiver told reporters.
The NFL’s official statement labeled the hit “a deliberate low blow” and confirmed the one-game suspension along with an automatic loss of a full week’s salary. Moehrig is permitted to appeal, although league insiders expect the suspension to hold, given the clarity of the footage.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the incident bluntly. “Cheap shot. No place for it,” he said. “Jauan handled it better than most would.”
The Panthers declined to comment on any further team discipline. Losing Moehrig for a week adds more strain to a defense that has struggled throughout the season.
League veterans and analysts were unanimous in their reactions. One former defensive back called the punch “one of the most obvious suspensions of the year,” while fans across social media blasted the act as “embarrassing” and “beyond dirty.”
Moehrig will miss the Panthers’ upcoming matchup and will be eligible to return the following week. Jennings is not expected to face any discipline.
The incident now becomes another chapter in a season full of frustration for Carolina and another emotional spark in a heated late-season meeting between NFC opponents.
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