What potential punishment does Dom DiSandro face after Dre Greenlaw altercation?

The “fly Eagles fly” chant witnessed a setback for a while as the Philadelphia Eagles went down to the mighty San Francisco 49ers. Philly quarterback Jalen Hurts got overshadowed by the incredible performance of the 49ers’ Brock Purdy, ending the NFC East leader’s winning streak. The defeat was absolutely disheartening for the Eagles squad, as the team has been nearly indomitable for the last several weeks.

With a 10-2 record, the Eagles are still leading their division, and the 49ers too are leading their NFC West division with a 9-3 record. Apart from the intense clash, the Week 13 match stirred controversy due to the ugly altercation between Philly’s security chief officer, Dom DiSandro, and 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

What potential punishment does Dom DiSandro face?

In the Week 13 match, tensions flared as Greenlaw executed a forceful tackle on the Eagles’ wide receiver DeVonta Smith near the Philly sideline. What followed was a heated exchange between the two teams, with members of the Eagles’ coaching staff and players converging around the LB and his teammates.

Amidst this chaos, Dom DiSandro stepped into the fray and pulled Greenlaw away from Smith. The 49ers star reacted by reaching over officials to touch DiSandro’s face with a closed fist. The altercation escalated quickly, resulting in the ejection of both Greenlaw and the Eagles security chief from the game.

The aftermath of this incident has sparked discussions within the NFL community alongside 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk raised concerns about non-players intervening in on-field altercations.

The NFL inside highlighted the league’s recent decision to penalize a videographer for involvement in a celebratory act with a player while speculating that DiSandro might face further repercussions, including potential game-day access restrictions. He said while team security officials play a crucial role, their involvement in on-field altercations can disrupt the game’s integrity.

“Team security officials are not in-game bouncers. Keeping the peace is the job of the officials. Non-players who insinuate themselves into the game risk losing access to the game area,” he said via CBS Sports.

The fallout from the intense incident extended beyond the field. Philly fans displayed their support for the team’s veteran by giving him a standing ovation as he was escorted out of the stadium during the unfortunate loss to the 49ers.

Will Eagles also get penalized?

The Week 13 incident involving Greenlaw and Dom DiSandro has prompted discussions about player conduct and the role of non-players in such situations. Walt Anderson, the NFL’s senior V.P. of officiating, provided insight into the league’s policies regarding these incidents.

Anderson clarified that Rule 19 allows the league to use video footage to help evaluate actions, but it does not give the league office the authority to instruct on-site officials to directly penalize non-players.

However, the veteran clarified that the league does have the authority to eject non-players if their actions warrant such consequences. In this particular instance, video evidence was able to uncover that a staff member had made contact with a player, which subsequently triggered a reaction resulting in the player’s disqualification.

However, Florio noted that the NFL informed all 32 franchises that it would impose “significant accountability measures” for teams if their athletes or staff members “join a fight already in progress” during NFL functions. As aforementioned, when DiSandro had his first contact with Greenlaw from the sidelines, several Philly players were already jawing at the 49ers vet. Now, it remains to be seen if the NFL takes any action against the Eagles franchise.