49ers’ Jennings retaliates for Moehrig’s below-the-belt shot

Jauan Jennings earned praise from 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday night, and it had nothing to do with his opening-drive touchdown catch.

Jennings was punched in the groin by Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig on a play late in the 49ers’ 20-9 win while Jennings was blocking on a 49ers run play.

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

Shanahan did not mention what happened postgame, though, when Jennings took an open-handed swipe at Moehrig while the teams were shaking hands at midfield.

“I was just responding to some childish behavior,” Jenning said after the game. “That was just out of nowhere. It’s probably the history of me playing ball. I play hard. I’m physically stronger than a lot of DBs. A lot of things happen in between the whistle, with me at least.”

Moehrig told reporters in the Panthers locker room that Jennings was “talking crazy” during the game.

“He was just doing some extra stuff after the play,” Moehrig said. “I’ll take that one. It wasn’t just frustration. It was isolated.”

Asked why he didn’t retaliate immediately against Moehrig, Jennings pointed to the 49ers’ Super Bowl aspirations.

“You’re talking about how small this window is for us,” he said. “Being a seventh-rounder, cut, I don’t want to make any mistakes.”

Jennings has had an up-and-down season for the 49ers, missing much of the preseason with a calf injury while he was seeking new contract terms, and later saying he had been playing with broken ribs. He has 37 catches for 419 yards and four touchdowns, including three in the past four weeks.

Both players could face a fine or suspension from the NFL for the incident.

Staff reporter Cam Inman contributed to this report.