Why Kyle Shanahan Has No Opinion On Jauan Jennings ‘trash Talk' Vs. Browns

Why Kyle Shanahan has no opinion on Jauan Jennings ‘trash talk' vs. Browns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After the 49ers’ 26-8 win in Cleveland on Sunday, Browns defensive linemen Shelby Harris and Myles Garrett spoke out about disparaging comments made by Jauan Jennings during the game. 

Jennings spoke to reporters after the contest, but the wide receiver was not asked about the situation as interviews with players in both locker rooms were happening simultaneously. 

The situation apparently came to a head during an injury timeout, when former 49ers defensive lineman Maliek Collins was injured in the middle of the third quarter. On Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the situation did not include Jennings’ former teammate. 

“It had nothing to do with Maliek,” Shanahan via conference call. “We’ve got so much love for Maliek. Just sounded like there were players standing around for a while because of the injury, and then they got chippy at each other. I don’t know what words were said, but sounded like he offended the guys with words. It was just about words during an injury timeout.”  

Jennings is known for his physicality, consistently playing to the whistle. The wideout has been known to get under opponents’ skin on a regular basis because of his efforts, even getting into scuffles with teammates during training camp practices. 

“I think we all have a respect level and things that we stay away from,” Shanahan said. “And until I [hear] what he said, I believe Jauan did. He didn’t tell me anything he said like that, so I’d have to hear it to have an opinion on it. But I haven’t heard what he said that offended them so much. 

“Until I do, I don’t have an opinion on it. It’s just trash talk between a couple of people on the field and I’ll kind of leave it at that.”  

Jennings had a breakout 2024 NFL season and was set to reach 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his career. In the final game of that campaign against the Arizona Cardinals, the Jennings got into a skirmish, was disqualified from the game and finished the season with 975 yards receiving. 

“I think what J.J. is very good at is not breaking rules,” Shanahan said. “It’s just like with Arizona last year when he went to the whistle so hard it offended some of their corners, and they started throwing punches. 

“Unfortunately J.J. got kicked out, too. Not because he didn’t throw a punch or anything, and I think J.J. has been real good at not breaking rules that way. And he gets other guys to break them a lot on him.”

Jennings, however, has broken the rules, at least according to the NFL, which issued him a $12,172 fine for an altercation involving Carolina Panthers safety Tre’Von Moehrig in Week 12. Jennings avoided suspension over the postgame, which was in retaliation after Moehrig’s below-the-belt punch of Jennings earlier in the game. 

The Panthers defensive back was suspended by the league for one game. 

“I talked to Jauan, I asked him about it,” Shanahan said about the Cleveland situation. “But I love how Jauan plays, and I think Jauan plays to the whistle as good as any player in this league. He’s extremely aggressive and plays as hard as he can to the whistle, and he’s been doing that, as Niner fans know, since he’s been here.  

“I think sometimes that offends other players and rubs people the wrong way because they aren’t used to people going that hard to the whistle.”

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