San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings played the role of ‘The Grinch’ on Monday Night Football when he cruelly taunted a rival fan.
On a trip to take on the Indianapolis Colts, the Niners pass catcher hauled in a three-yard reception for a touchdown to go up 31-17.
Jennings’ momentum saw him go out of the right side of the end zone and towards the bleachers.
The veteran receiver spotted a fan in the crowd and then held out the ball to her – seemingly in a gesture of good will.
But it was all a joke: Jennings then pulled the ball back and then headed back to his sideline.
It was a perfectly sold troll job – with the woman’s face and outstretched arms serving as evidence of the ruse. Meanwhile, fans on social media disliked Jennings’ move.
San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Jauan Jennings hauled in a key touchdown catch
To celebrate, Jennings pranked a fan by pretending to give her the ball, then taking it away
‘Lamest player in the league goes to a mf named Juan [sic] Jennings,’ one user on X posted.
Another said, ‘He loves being the league’s heel.’ One post read, ‘That ending was not needed bruh.’
Others seemed to enjoy the joke: ‘Those Colts fans really thought they were getting the ball,’ read one post.
Former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman posted, ‘Jauan with the fake ball giveaway was too funny! Peak Villain energy and I love it.’
Jennings was asked about his prank after the game, to which he grinned and replied, ‘She didn’t have any 49ers gear so that’s what she got.’
The catch was the first of three touchdowns the Niners scored in the first half. Running back Christian McCaffrey ran in from nine yards out and a Dee Winters 74-yard pick-six sealed the door on a 48-27 win.
San Francisco has already clinched a playoff spot, but is in play to win the NFC West division. Their final two games are against the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks. Winning both those games will likely give them the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.