To say there’s still some bad blood between San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is an understatement.
During Sunday’s Week 4 matchup between the two teams, Greenlaw was seen talking smack to Payton multiple times. And after the final whistle blew, Greenlaw was so heated he tried to go after Payton as the teams were leaving the field but was restrained by teammate Fred Warner.
“I told him to get the f— off the field,” Greenlaw said, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “That’s it: ‘Get the f— off the field.’”
The Greenlaw-Payton Tension Came to a Head
During the first quarter of Sunday’s game, Greenlaw made a third-down stop on Broncos running back R.J. Harvey. He immediately got up, walked over to Payton and began smack talking him.
“I don’t even remember what I said,” Greenlaw admitted. “I blacked out a little.”
But why is Greenlaw so furious with his former coach? Well, that’s because of the way Payton chose to handle Greenlaw’s exit from the Broncos during the offseason.
“Greenlaw was blacking out and seeing red Sunday because Payton, he said, ignored him last year, starting around late November,” Branch added. “… Greenlaw said Payton began ignoring him — he said he hadn’t spoken to him since Week 12 — because he was frustrated by the return the Broncos were receiving on their investment.”
Denver signed Greenlaw to a three-year, $31.5 million contract last March. But he missed the first six games of the season with a torn quad, and he missed the final two games with a hamstring injury. He didn’t make it to the second season of his contract.
“He definitely was (mad because I missed so many games), for sure,” Greenlaw said. “He would walk by — I would walk by — and he wouldn’t even look at me because of my injury. So I just knew what it was (with him) there.”
Greenlaw Used His Animosity Toward Payton as Motivation
By watching what transpired on Sunday, one could easily tell it was a revenge game for Greenlaw.
He led the 49ers with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. It was the most single-game tackles he’d had since Christmas of 2023 when he also had 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.
“The disrespect (fueled me),” Greenlaw said. “He couldn’t be man to man and call my phone and say, ‘We’re going to cut you.’”
Greenlaw’s teammates could even tell Sunday’s 24-14 victory meant more to him than just another win.
“I told him after the game, ‘I could tell you were about 98% blacked out,’” tackles Trent Williams said. “But he kept his cool with that other 2%.”
“Every time he came to the sideline, he was tweaking out,” rookie defensive end Romello Height added. “It was good to see that — and it was good to see him kind of get revenge on an old team.”
Dre Greenlaw Had to Be Held Back From Going After Sean Payton After 49ers-Broncos