Jauan Jennings Is Stirring the Pot - And Opposing Defenses Are Taking Notice
Jauan Jennings isn’t exactly making friends across the league right now - and that might be putting it lightly.
After the 49ers’ 26-8 win over the Browns on Sunday, tensions boiled over once again, this time with Cleveland defensive tackle Shelby Harris sounding off on the San Francisco wideout. And Harris didn’t hold back.
“He’s a h-e and I want that known,” Harris told reporters after the game. “I see why he got punched in the nuts.
He says some things that you should not say to another man, ever. I don’t respect it, because you say that, then run behind your O-line.
That’s some real soft s--t, and I want that known. I’m surprised nobody punched him in the jaw yet.”
That’s as raw as it gets. And it wasn’t just a one-off comment.
This came after an on-field exchange involving Jennings and several Browns players, following an injury to former 49ers defensive lineman Maliek Collins, who had to be carted off. According to reports, words were exchanged, and emotions ran high - again.
This isn't the first time Jennings has found himself in the middle of post-whistle drama. Just a week earlier, during San Francisco’s win over Carolina, Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig delivered a low blow to Jennings in the fourth quarter - a hit that led to a brief scuffle and postgame fireworks. The NFL handed Moehrig a one-game suspension for the shot below the belt, while Jennings was fined $12,172 for his retaliation.
After that game, Moehrig didn’t mince words either.
“He was doing some extra stuff after the play, and talking crazy like he was doing something,” Moehrig said. “Didn’t think about it - it just happened.
I’ll take that one. He wanted to do his little dirty stuff, so it is what it is.”
That “extra stuff” Moehrig mentioned? It’s becoming a pattern - or at least that’s how opponents are seeing it.
Jennings plays with an edge, no doubt about it. But depending on who you ask, that edge is starting to look more like a blade.
Even Myles Garrett, one of the league’s most respected voices, weighed in after Sunday’s game.
“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.
I was just trying to separate everybody. I tried to go up and ask what the problem was, and then he started coming at me.”
Garrett didn’t escalate the situation, but he made it clear that Jennings’ approach isn’t something he believes belongs in the game.
“If that works for him and them, then more power to him,” Garrett added. “But I’m just trying to keep my guys focused on the game and not worried about stuff outside of it.”
Here’s the thing: Jennings has always played with a chip on his shoulder. That’s part of what makes him effective - he’s physical, scrappy, and never backs down from a challenge.
But over the past two weeks, that fire has started to draw serious heat from opponents. Whether it’s trash talk, late shoves, or retaliatory jabs, Jennings is becoming a magnet for controversy.
And now, with the 49ers heading into a bye week, there’s a chance for everyone - Jennings included - to take a breath. San Francisco has been rolling, and Jennings has been a contributor both on the stat sheet and in setting the tone. But if the extracurriculars keep piling up, the Niners may need to decide just how much of that edge they’re willing to live with.
Because right now, Jauan Jennings isn’t just getting under defenders’ skin - he’s becoming the guy they circle on the scouting report for all the wrong reasons.