San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan defended Jauan Jennings’ retaliatory sucker punch on Tre’von Moehrig after his club’s win over the Carolina Panthers clash ‘Monday Night Football.’

During the postgame handshakes, a video emerged of Jauan Jennings sucker punching Tre’von Moehrig in the head, prompting other players to step in and break up their altercation.

However, another video emerged of Moehrig actually delivering a low blow to Jennings moments earlier, after the 49ers ran an offensive play. Here’s a close-up angle of the initial cheap shot from the veteran safety:

Asked about the incident after the game, Kyle Shanahan defended Jauan Jennings’ actions, citing Moehrig’s initial blow.

“The guy took a cheap shot and hit him in the balls,” Shanahan said. “I was real proud of Jauan for not losing his mind out there and get him to the sideline.”

The 49ers’ defense bailed quarterback Brock Purdy, who threw three terrible interceptions in the first half. His performance early on was so bad that fans even called for Purdy to be investigated, but Robert Saleh’s defense led the way in a pivotal 20-9 win.

49ers Offense Needs More Of Jauan Jennings Down The Stretch

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) scores a touchdown against Kansas City Chiefs safety Mike Edwards (21) in the second half in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. (Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Jennings had a career year in 2024, posting 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns, per NFL.com. But in 10 games this season, he has only 37 catches for 419 yards and four touchdowns.

The 49ers still don’t know if All-Pro wideout Brandon Aiyuk will play this season. He suffered a torn ACL in October of last year, but a new report indicates that Aiyuk might not even want to play this season, even if he’s healthy.

If Aiyuk doesn’t return this year, the 49ers will definitely need the 2024 version of Jauan Jennings down the stretch. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall are a nice set of skill position guys for Purdy to work with, but the best version of Jennings could take this offense to another level.