49ers' Kyle Shanahan defends Jauan Jennings over on-field conduct against opposing players

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings was involved in a physical confrontation with Carolina Panthers safety Tre’Von Moehrig following the Week 12 game between the two teams. Six days later against the Cleveland Browns, Jennings found himself involved in another controversy.

According to Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris, Jennings crossed a line while trash talking as fellow Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins was getting carted off the field with an injury. Harris called out Jennings after the game.

“He’s a hoe, and I want that known,” Harris said, via Camryn Justice of News 5 Cleveland. “Like, I see why he got punched in the nuts because he said some things that you should not say to another man ever. But I don’t respect it because you say that and then run behind your offensive line. That’s some real soft sh*t. I want that known. I see exactly why they punched him in the nuts; I’m surprised nobody’s punched him in the jaw yet.”

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday it’s his understanding that Jennings’ words had nothing to do with Collins, a former 49er. Shanahan said he talked to Jennings about what he said.

Jauan Jennings continuing to get under skin of opposing teams

“I talked to Jauan, I asked him about it, but not in like, I love how Jauan plays. I think Jauan plays to the whistle as well as any player in this league,” Shanahan said. “He’s extremely aggressive and plays as hard as he can to the whistle and he’s been doing that, as Niners fans know and you guys know, since he’s been here. I think sometimes that offends other players and rubs people the wrong way because they’re not used to people going that hard to the whistle.

“But I think what J.J. is very good at is not breaking rules. It’s just like at Arizona last year when he went to the whistle so hard it offended some of their corners, and they started throwing punches, and unfortunately, J.J. got kicked out too. But not because he didn’t throw a punch or anything. I think J.J.’s been really good at not breaking rules that way, and he gets other guys to break them a lot on him.”

Shanahan said he didn’t know what Jennings said exactly that upset Browns players. Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett was in the thick of it and explained what he heard.

“I can’t speak for how he was raised but if you have nothing good to say, don’t say something to somebody,” Garrett said. “He had a lot to say that was demeaning and disparaging towards some of our players, and I was just trying to separate everybody. I tried to ask him what the problem was, and he started coming at me. Some guys just roll like that. I don’t feel like that belongs in the game but if that works for him, more power to him.”