Wide receiver Jauan Jennings was ejected from the 49ers’ Week 18 game before he could reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark on the season.
Jennings was called for back-to-back penalties for unnecessary roughness which led to his disqualification midway through the first half of Sunday’s season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
However, when it came time for the NFL to dole out fines, Jennings was found innocent of any wrongdoing.
Instead, the two Arizona Cardinals with whom Jennings tangled were fined for the altercations, the NFL announced on Saturday.
“I know Jauan blocks through the whistle on every single play,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said following the 49ers’ 47-24 loss to the Cardinals.
“I know you usually get ejected for throwing a punch. I didn’t see one, and he didn’t tell me that he threw a punch. So that is something we’re going to have to find out.”
The answer came from the NFL with fines for Arizona defensive backs Starling Thomas and Sean Murphy-Bunting in the amounts of $5,083 and $11,817.
The league determined Thomas and Murphy-Bunting were the instigators in the plays in which the game officials called offsetting penalties against them and Jennings for unnecessary roughness.
Jennings and Murphy-Bunting were ejected from the game, referee Shawn Smith announced with 6:11 remaining in the first half.
At that point, Jennings had seven catches for 52 yards. He finished the season with 77 receptions for 975 yards.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was the only 49ers player fined in the game. He was fined $16,610 for leading with his helmet while making a first-quarter block against Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson.
It was the second time Juszczyk was fined this season. He was fined $11,817 for a low block against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.