An NFLPA request to halt media locker room access led to shots fired from 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Professional athletes and the sports media have been at odds for decades over whether reporters should be permitted to interview players in locker rooms, and Friday the NFLPA asked the NFL to take “immediate action” for questions to be asked outside the space.
Responding to the union’s post on X, Juszczyk wrote, “Maybe we can keep @grantcohn from always hanging around our lockers while we’re changing.”
Cohn publishes a 49ers site via Sports Illustrated’s domain and has 76,000 YouTube subscribers plus nearly 50,000 followers on X.
He has gained this large following by not shying away from criticism of the team.
“I’m starting to think certain players on the 49ers don’t like me,” Cohn wrote on X shortly after Juszczyk’s post.
49ers players have had other confrontations with Cohn over the years.
In 2022, Javon Kinlaw, a defensive tackle who now plays for the Jets, confronted Cohn during OTAs and knocked his hat off.
Kinlaw later went on Cohn’s YouTube show and berated him.
George Kittle and Arik Armstead (now a member of the Jaguars) stuck up for Kinlaw during the dustup.
On Friday, the NFLPA explained why it wants to move media access to new locations.
“Over the past three years, the NFLPA has tried to work with the NFL and Pro Football Writers of America to move media interviews out of locker rooms,” the post said.
“However, there has been little willingness to collaborate on a new solution. Players feel that locker room interviews invade their privacy and are uncomfortable. This isn’t about limiting media access but about respecting players’ privacy and dignity.
“The NFL’s current media policy is outdated. We, the NFLPA Executive Committee, urge the NFL to make immediate changes to foster a more respectful and safer workplace for all players. In the meantime, we encourage each player to ask for interviews outside the locker room during the week.”
