Tre'von Moehrig, Jauan Jennings incident creates a disciplinary mess for the league

The NFL has cracked down this season, when it comes to sportsmanship.

Lions safety Brian Branch was suspended for striking Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after a Week 5 game. Broncos linebacker Drew Greenlaw was suspended for verbally accosting referee Brad Allen after a Week 7 game. Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase was suspended for spitting on Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey during a Week 11 game.

On Monday night, Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig punched 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings in the crotch after a play with less three minutes to play. After the game, Jennings struck Moehrig, in the same way Branch struck Smith-Schuster.

The league now has a decision to make. Suspend Jennings? Suspend Moehrig? Both? Neither?

Punching a guy in the crotch may not be quite the same level of indignity as spitting on him, but it's close. If Chase was suspended for a gesture that caused no actual harm, it wouldn't be a surprise for the league to suspend Moehrig for deliberately throwing a punch to a very sensitive area not protecting by padding. (NFL players don't wear cups.)

And if Branch was suspended for striking Smith-Schuster after the game ended, it wouldn't be a surprise for the league to suspend Jennings for striking Moehrig after the game.

Ramsey was not suspended for his reaction to being spit on. (He may not have even been fined.) But that was an immediate reaction. Jennings's retaliation happened several minutes later.

It won't be an easy situation for the league to resolve. But if the overriding goal is to send a clear message as to the things that will and won't be tolerated, the action from Moehrig — and the reaction by Jennings — would seem to fall into the category of actions the league doesn't want players to ever engage in.