Dre Greenlaw fuels 49ers win vs. Broncos while calling out Sean Payton

Facing his former team for the first time since an acrimonious exit, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw turned a personal grudge into production. He anchored the 49ers’ defense with 12 tackles in a 24-14 home win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, then used the postgame spotlight to air his frustration with ex-head coach Sean Payton.

Heated sideline exchange caps lingering resentment

Cameras caught a fiery moment between Greenlaw and Payton after the game at Levi’s Stadium, with the linebacker later confirming that he told his former coach to “get the f--k off the field.” The outburst, he explained, stemmed from how he felt he was treated during his brief stint in Denver last season.

Greenlaw said that beginning around Week 12 of 2025, while he was dealing with a lingering injury, communication with Payton effectively stopped. He described walking past his head coach without so much as eye contact, interpreting it as frustration over the organization’s investment in a player who was battling health issues and had served a one-game suspension.

Short Denver stay ends early despite major contract

The tension is more striking given how Greenlaw’s tenure in Denver began. Before the 2025 season, he signed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Broncos and quickly moved into a starting role, logging eight games and seven starts. In that 2025 campaign, he totaled 43 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and an interception.

He remained a factor into the postseason, finishing with four tackles in a divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills and six more in an AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots — ultimately his final outing in orange. Greenlaw has said the way his release was handled left a lasting sting, particularly that he did not receive a direct, personal call from Payton when the team decided to move on.

Greenlaw powers unbeaten 49ers as Broncos regroup

On Sunday, that history appeared to serve as motivation. Greenlaw’s 12 tackles led San Francisco and marked his most productive outing of the young season, underscoring his central role in a defense that has carried the 49ers to a 4-0 start. Next up is a high-profile road test against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

The Broncos, meanwhile, drop to 2-2 and will try to steady themselves against the winless Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium next week. As San Francisco leans on a fired-up Greenlaw, Denver is left to navigate both an uneven start and renewed scrutiny of how a key defensive signing was handled on Payton’s watch.