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There’s no obvious reason for bad blood to exist between the 49ers and the Broncos.
But 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw appears to still have an issue with Broncos coach Sean Payton, which manifested during Sunday’s game.
Greenlaw made a tackle along the sidelines in the first quarter against the Broncos. He got up right away and began jawing at Payton, who was a few yards away.
Greenlaw did this several times early in the game, with various clips of his trash talk showing up on social media.
Greenlaw and Payton’s history explains where this vendetta stems from.
Greenlaw signed a three-year, $35 million deal with Denver in March 2025, after Payton had recruited him to the team. The two clearly had a lot of mutual respect.
Then Greenlaw got injured, playing in only eight games last season. He voiced his frustration with how his role changed during his recovery and ultimately didn’t make the impact he was hoping for, even after returning to the field.
Denver released him after the season ended, which opened the door for him to rejoin the 49ers.
Payton shared kind words about Greenlaw after his release, expressing his disappointment that Greenlaw’s brief tenure in Denver didn’t work out the way either side wanted.
Greenlaw’s trash talk toward Payton suggests that he still isn’t over how his time in Denver went.
