San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings found himself at the center of controversy following Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns. Several Browns players accused the fiery 49ers receiver of crossing the line with comments he allegedly made during an injury stoppage.
Star pass rusher Myles Garrett characterized Jennings' remarks as "demeaning and disparaging."
Defensive tackle Shelby Harris went even further, telling reporters, "He's a hoe. I want that known. 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 O-line [for protection]. That's some real soft s--t, and I want that known."
Harris added, "I see exactly why they punched him in the nuts. I'm surprised nobody has punched him in the jaw yet."
On Tuesday, general manager John Lynch responded to the criticism. While Lynch emphasized there is a clear line that should never be crossed—such as spitting on another player—he does not believe Jennings approaches anything close to that territory.
"I'm not out there, so I don't know exactly what he says," Lynch said on Bay Area radio station KNBR, "but there's people I trust who are out there, and have heard it, and I don't think Jauan's saying anything. I can't speak for Shelby Harris. What I do know is Jauan plays incredibly hard, and he plays through the echo of the whistle, and that's how I was taught to play. So, I've got a great deal of respect."
Lynch added that Jennings' relentless style—something the 49ers deeply value—can frustrate opponents who aren't used to wide receivers playing with that level of physicality.
"And I think when he's on your team, I kind of liken it to [Golden State Warriors player] Draymond [Green]," Lynch continued. "I mean, Draymond just plays so hard that he's an irritant. That's very similar. Jauan plays really hard, to the whistle, and they, frankly, aren't used to receivers doing that to them.
"And then, he's exceptionally strong, and so he tosses these guys around a little. And it's a great thing that he's on our side. I don't believe that he crosses the line with things he says out there. I think he just kind of gets under people's skin because he plays a certain way. And I can tell you this: they all wish he were on their team, so we love having him on ours."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the situation on Monday but noted he hasn't yet heard the specific comments that triggered such reactions from Browns players.
"Until I do, I don't have much of an opinion on it," Shanahan said. "That's just trash talk between a couple of people out on the field, and I kind of leave it at that."
Sunday's accusations come a week after Jennings' post-game retaliation against Carolina Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig, who punched the receiver below the belt during the game. The NFL suspended Moehrig for one game without pay and fined Jennings $12,172 for unnecessary roughness.
Comments