NFL world reacts to Dre Greenlaw throwing punches late in 49ers' loss to Eagles

01-29-2023
5 min read
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The game-long chippiness between the 49ers and Eagles on Sunday eventually resulted in players throwing hands at Lincoln Financial Field.

San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw was penalized for unnecessary roughness late in the NFC championship game after he was seen attempting to punch the ball out of Kenneth Gainwell's hands.

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Those punches were more akin to left hooks than Peanut Punches:

Greenlaw wasn't ejected, though it's possible he will incur the fourth fine of his NFL career. To date, he has racked up $26,387 in NFL fines for a late hit, a helmet-to-helmet hit and a taunting penalty.

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The worst part of the outburst is that San Francisco had the Eagles stopped for a 2-yard gain on third-and-12 at the 49ers' 28. Greenlaw's penalty gave Philadelphia 14 free yards and a first down at the Niners' 14. The Eagles ran three more plays before kicking a field goal to make the score 31-7, which was the final margin.

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Regardless, Eagles fans did not appreciate the boxing exhibition. The same was true for several neutral observers:

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That wasn't the only poor sportsmanship shown by the 49ers. On their ensuing drive, All-Pro tackle Trent Williams flung safety K'Von Wallace to the turf from behind, prompting retaliation by the latter and nearly resulting in a brawl:

Both players were ejected.

That was the final blowup in an overall poor mental performance by San Francisco, which was clearly frustrated at the loss of starting quarterback Brock Purdy to an elbow injury. His backup, Josh Johnson, was later ruled out with a concussion, forcing Purdy back into the game. Purdy finished the game with only four pass attempts (all completions) for 23 yards.

The 49ers finished the game with 11 penalties for 81 yards, three off the conference championship mark set by the then-Oakland Raiders in the 2003 AFC championship game.

Now, the 49ers' season is over, with Williams' ending a little sooner than his teammates. Greenlaw and he both stand to receive a significant fine from the NFL for their troubles.