National Football League

NFL reportedly reviewing 49ers-Eagles sideline incident involving Dre Greenlaw, 'Big Dom'

Published Dec. 4, 2023 5:26 p.m. ET

The NFL is reportedly reviewing the sideline scuffle in the second half of the 49ers' win over the Eagles on Sunday, when San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw threw a jab at Philadelphia's head of team security "Big Dom" DiSandro after DiSandro put his hands on Greenlaw.

DiSandro was seemingly defending receiver DeVonta Smith, who Greenlaw had bodyslammed to the ground on the Eagles' sideline with an illegally violent hit. Both DiSandro and Greenlaw were separated and ejected from the game for their actions.

DiSandro, who is often seen next to head coach Nick Sirianni on the team's sideline and whose time with the Eagles dates back to the start of the Andy Reid era in 1999, was given a standing ovation by the home crowd in Philadelphia as he walked off the field.

[Who is 'Big Dom'? Eagles security officer ejected with Niners LB Dre Greenlaw]

The loss of Greenlaw ended up not mattering all that much for the 49ers in the game, however, as San Francisco rolled to a 42-19 victory in a successful revenge bid for the 49ers' loss to the Eagles in last year's NFC Championship Game.

But 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan still expressed outrage after the game that an Eagles staffer, not even a coach or fellow player, put his hands on Greenlaw.

"I tried my hardest not to lose my mind," Shanahan told reporters, via KNBR. "Hopefully, I didn't embarrass myself too bad. … I just can't believe someone not involved in a football game can taunt our players like that and put their hands in our guy's face."

NFL on FOX microphones picked up Sirianni appearing to apologize to Shanahan during the coaches' postgame handshake. But while Sirianni also expressed disappointment to reporters Monday that the situation escalanted like it did, he defended DiSandro's intentions.

"Dom is as good as they get in this business," Sirianni said, via ProFootballTalk. "I'm so thankful for him. He is always going to try to defuse situations. That's what he does, that's his job. Obviously, unfortunate yesterday. I know in Dom's heart he truly was trying to defuse the situation right there. I am sad it came to what it came to that anybody got thrown out of the game."

ProFootballTalk reported Sunday evening that some in the NFL expect the league to take "significant action" against DiSandro for his actions, especially in light of how the league just suspended an employee for the remainder of the season because he lent Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill a smartphone to do a touchdown celebration.

The incident between Greenlaw and DiSandro was the most notable of several scuffles during what was a tense rivalry game before San Francisco pulled away late in the second half. The game followed months of verbal jabs between the two sides through the media as some key 49ers players repeatedly insisted that they only lost to Philadelphia in last season's game because quarterback Brock Purdy tore his UCL in the first quarter.

Both Purdy and star wide receiver Deebo Samuel, a chief proponent of that talking point, had standout performances Sunday.

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