On Sunday, moments after the ultimate seconds expired, Dre Greenlaw, the San Francisco 49ers’ passionate, flamable linebacker, walked immediately towards Broncos head coach Sean Payton, screaming, earlier than they crossed paths close to midfield.
Greenlaw had simply performed a starring position within the 49ers’ 24-14 win over Denver, his employer in 2025. That had been a disastrous, damage ravaged season for Greenlaw – a yr so terrible he sunk right into a despair and thought of leaving the NFL – however he had no ailing will for his ex-teammates Sunday.
Commercial
However Payton? That was a unique story. In a postgame dialog with the Chronicle, Greenlaw defined that his on-field message was payback: Disrespect for the disrespectful method he thought Payton handled him. Linebacker Fred Warner pulled Greenlaw away from Payton as Payton walked previous, his proper hand brushing Greenlaw’s facet.
“I informed him to get the f— off the sphere,” Greenlaw stated. “That is it: ‘Get the f— off the sphere.'”
Greenlaw’s animus in the direction of Payton helps clarify why he was all around the discipline he wished Payton to exit. In a recreation during which Denver did not rating a landing within the first 55 minutes, Greenlaw had a team-high 12 tackles, his most since Dec. 25, 2023. He additionally pressured a fumble and had a couple of high-decibel, presumably R-rated message for Payton.
After Greenlaw’s first sort out, a takedown of operating again RJ Harvey after a 6-yard reception alongside the Broncos sideline within the first quarter, the linebacker pointed at Payton, standing just a few yards away, and yelled.
Commercial
“I do not even bear in mind what I stated,” Greenlaw stated. “I blacked out slightly.”
Greenlaw was blacking out and seeing purple Sunday as a result of Payton, he stated, ignored him final yr, beginning round late November. After he signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract in March 2025, Greenlaw missed Denver’s first six video games with a torn quadriceps. He missed the ultimate two video games with a hamstring pressure. The Broncos launched him in March after Greenlaw had made 43 tackles in eight video games.
Greenlaw stated Payton started ignoring him – he stated he hadn’t spoken to him since Week 12 — as a result of he was annoyed by the return the Broncos have been receiving on their funding.
“He positively was, for certain,” Greenlaw stated. “He would stroll by – I might stroll by – and he would not even have a look at me due to my damage. So I simply knew what it was (with him) there.”
Commercial
Greenlaw, a longtime enforcer and energizer who spent his first six seasons with the 49ers earlier than his lone season in Denver, stated his relationship with Payton is why he was “1,000 p.c” extra amped than regular for Sunday’s recreation.
Greenlaw stated his agent was the one who knowledgeable him the Broncos have been parting methods with him.
“The disrespect,” Greenlaw stated of Sunday’s motivation. “He could not be man to man and name my cellphone and say, ‘We’ll lower you.'”
Requested if he had a difficulty with Greenlaw, Payton stated he spoke with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan about Greenlaw throughout their postgame greeting. It was seconds after Greenlaw yelled at Payton.
Commercial
“I stated this to Kyle afterwards: I feel the world of him,” Payton stated. “I actually love the whole lot about him. He performs with that emotion. So it is all good.”
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) and defensive lineman Romello Peak (94) sort out Denver Broncos operating again J.Okay. Dobbins throughout a recreation at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle)
After Greenlaw’s misplaced season in Denver, issues are trying much better for him now. He has 34 tackles this season for a 4-0 group that is permitting simply 16 factors a recreation. On Sunday, he stated he thought of retiring through the darkest days final yr, which had been preceded by his already troublesome 2024 season with the 49ers: Greenlaw performed in simply two video games and was unable to complete both contest, resulting from time misplaced to the torn Achilles he suffered within the Tremendous Bowl in February 2024.
After lacking the primary six video games final yr with the Broncos, Greenlaw had performed in simply two video games in 614 days. He stated his conversations with two of his closest buddies, Warner and Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, his former teammate with the 49ers, modified his outlook on his soccer future. Greenlaw signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the 49ers in March.
Commercial
“I do not know if Dre was ever actually really going to be accomplished with it,” Warner stated to the Chronicle. “I feel generally within the hardest moments, you consider issues that you could be not have ever considered. However I am comfortable that he is all good now.”
Greenlaw stated he needed to work to rein in his feelings Sunday so he’d have some vitality left for the fourth quarter. Left sort out Trent Williams indicated he was involved Greenlaw may run too scorching. Greenlaw has seven profession pointless roughness penalties, was ejected for a sideline altercation with an Eagles staffer in 2023 and served a one-game NFL suspension final yr for chasing and verbally threatening a referee after a loss to the Giants.
“I informed him after the sport, ‘I might let you know have been about 98% blacked out,'” Williams stated. “However he saved his cool with that different 2%.”
Defensive finish Romello Peak added, “Each time he got here to the sideline, he was tweaking out. It was good to see that, and it was good to see him sort of get revenge on an previous group.”
Commercial
Greenlaw was so thrilled about getting revenge that tight finish George Kittle obtained a shock greeting. After Kittle’s game-sealing 56-yard landing catch with simply over two minutes left, he anticipated to be embraced ultimately zone by offensive teammates. As a substitute, it was Greenlaw, who started sprinting down the sideline when Kittle was in the midst of his scoring gallop.
“The place did he come from?” Kittle stated. “That is superior.”
After Kittle’s landing, Greenlaw returned to the 49ers sideline, staring throughout the sphere towards his former coach along with his proper index finger raised. Minutes later, he would, in impact, give Payton the verbal equal of a unique one-finger salute.
In Greenlaw’s thoughts, it was payback: disrespect for disrespect.
Commercial
Subscribe
There’s extra to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe right this moment for simply 25¢.
This text initially revealed at After terrorizing previous group, 49ers’ Dre Greenlaw stated he was fueled by Sean Payton’s ‘disrespect’.