Nick Wagoner, ESPN Group of workers Editor
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — 3 days then the sideline dustup that resulted within the ejection of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and the Philadelphia Eagles‘ head of safety, Dom DiSandro, either side seem able to proceed on.
Chatting with media for the primary generation since he was once ejected for his hand contacting DiSandro’s face throughout Sunday’s 43-19 win, Greenlaw stated he and DiSandro had exchanged apologies by means of intermediaries.
“We just exchanged a formal apology just between me and (Niners general manager) John (Lynch) and some of the same people that we do know that in the building and stuff like that,” Greenlaw stated. “He seemed like a genuine guy. Seemed like a guy that everybody loved in the building. So, I hate that, honestly. I really hate that it even escalated and went to that.”
On Monday, the league place of job instructed ESPN that it could overview the sideline incident between Greenlaw and DiSandro. Greenlaw and Niners schoolteacher Kyle Shanahan stated Wednesday that they had no longer heard from the NFL and had been anticipating deny additional self-discipline for Greenlaw past the 15-yard penalty and ejection he won on Sunday. The subject residue beneath overview by way of the league place of job, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday, and there may be anticipated to be a follow-up with the Eagles this date.
The NFL despatched a memo to all groups Wednesday afternoon reminding them to “please ensure that all members of your game-day staff understand that their role does not extend to being involved with game day altercations and that they must refrain from such involvement.”
The incident in query took playground about 5½ mins into the 3rd quarter when Greenlaw tackled Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith close the Philadelphia sideline then a 13-yard crowning glory. Greenlaw lifted Smith off his ft and slammed him to the grassland, which drew a flag for useless roughness.
As Greenlaw and Smith stood up, Eagles personnel and avid gamers in a rush over and started yelling backward and forward with Greenlaw and a few of his teammates. Replays confirmed that DiSandro put his palms on Greenlaw and nudged him clear of the Eagles sideline. Greenlaw was once yelling and pointing week DiSandro stepped within the center and Greenlaw’s hand looked as if it would come into touch with DiSandro’s face.
That drew an automated disqualification upon overview of the play games in Pristine York, in line with a pond file with Walt Anderson, the NFL’s senior vice chairman of officiating. Greenlaw stated Wednesday that he wasn’t shocked by way of the flag however disagreed with the verdict to eject him.
“I felt like I shouldn’t have been ejected, but I can’t go back and say anything about it now,” Greenlaw stated. “They did their job.”
As Greenlaw returned to the Niners sideline pleading his case to teammates and coaches, officers additionally ejected DiSandro for what Anderson described as “contributing to the escalation” of a controversy.
Niners schoolteacher Kyle Shanahan, who vehemently expressed his displeasure with Greenlaw’s ejection, was once in particular troubled by way of the truth that one in all his avid gamers were given thrown out for a war of words with anyone who isn’t a participant or schoolteacher.
Shanahan stated Wednesday that he understood the penalty flag on Greenlaw however he would have most well-liked if no one have been ejected.
“I also don’t think (DiSandro) pushed (Greenlaw) that bad, so I’m not trying to build that up either,” Shanahan stated. “That stuff happens all the time and people break it up. There’s no penalties and you can go back and you move on with your life and you get it going. Dre just got ejected and when they look at why and then I guess then that guy should have too. But that’s why I don’t want that guy made an example out of. I just think we should have kept it moving.”
Shanahan additionally expressed self belief that then what came about Sunday, the league will paintings to safeguard that incidents like the person who took playground in Philadelphia doesn’t change into usual apply across the league the place groups luckily industry a personnel member for a key participant from the alternative aspect.
“It won’t be, it can’t be and that’s why they probably did make a big deal out of (it),” Shanahan stated. “It can’t be a strategy. They’ll put an end to that, which I think they already have.”
“We just exchanged a formal apology just between me and (Niners general manager) John (Lynch) and some of the same people that we do know that in the building and stuff like that. He seemed like a genuine guy. Seemed like a guy that everybody loved in the building. So, I hate that, honestly. I really hate that it even escalated and went to that.”
49ers LB Dre Greenlaw
The 49ers view Greenlaw as a pitch setter, a participant whose bodily method is one thing that generates power for the residue of the workforce. Shanahan stated Greenlaw is “as good as anyone I’ve been around” on the subject of enjoying the enforcer position and San Francisco’s “most physical hitter.”
That taste has additionally yielded its percentage of pricy consequences, then again. Since Greenlaw entered the league in 2019, he has been flagged for seven useless roughness consequences and 4 15-yard facemask infractions, either one of which can be tie for essentially the most within the NFL (together with the playoffs).
For his section, Greenlaw says he’s continuously looking to travel a “fine line” between being competitive and no longer getting pricey consequences however he isn’t looking to deliberately harm somebody.
“I’m not a dirty player,” Greenlaw stated. “I play by the rules. I mean just because you tackle a little physical doesn’t make you a dirty player.”
In January’s NFC Championship Recreation in Philadelphia, Greenlaw drew an useless roughness penalty for a accident on operating again Kenneth Gainwell and an infraction for grabbing operating again Boston Scott‘s face masks. Greenlaw was once additionally ejected from a recreation utmost moment for a helmet-to-helmet accident on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
However Greenlaw’s rapid, bodily method additionally resonates together with his teammates, who indicate that most of the consequences that move in opposition to him are steadily going down so briefly that they are able to be tricky to keep away from.
And in spite of what came about Sunday, no one in San Francisco is calling Greenlaw to switch how he performs.
“I know exactly what he’s going to bring every time he’s out there,” linebacker Fred Warner stated. “An enforcer, a tone setter out there delivering those hits and flying to the football every single play and you need that.”
