The 49ers’ season ended with more than just a lopsided scoreboard.
After a 41-6 blowout loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, San Francisco cornerback Deommodore Lenoir left Lumen Field not only with the sting of elimination but also a hefty fine from the league. The NFL hit Lenoir with a $20,944 penalty for illegal use of the helmet, stemming from a headbutt directed at Seahawks rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba between plays.
It was a moment that captured the intensity-and the bad blood-between these two NFC West rivals. The incident wasn’t flagged in real time, but the league clearly took notice after reviewing the tape.
Smith-Njigba addressed the confrontation a few days later on The Reset podcast, brushing off the headbutt with calm confidence.
“One, I got a helmet on,” he said. “Two, when you feel like you're on another level, I'm not going to let something not on my level distract me of what's going on.”
That quote says a lot. Smith-Njigba didn’t just walk away from the moment physically unshaken-he used it as fuel, framing it as a distraction he refused to let derail him. For a rookie, that’s a poised response in a high-stakes environment.
This wasn’t the first time these two had exchanged words, either. Leading into their Week 18 matchup, Lenoir had spoken confidently about the matchup, while Smith-Njigba fired back after the Seahawks’ win, calling Lenoir a “fan.” That’s the kind of playoff trash talk that can spill over when emotions run high-and clearly, it did.
Lenoir wasn’t the only 49er fined after the game. Linebacker Dee Winters was hit with a $5,907 fine for a hip-drop tackle-another play that went unflagged during the game but drew postgame discipline from the league office.
Neither Lenoir nor Winters saw penalties during the game itself, but their fines serve as a reminder: the NFL is watching, even when the flags stay in the officials’ pockets.
In the aftermath of a bitter playoff loss, the 49ers now face an offseason with more questions than answers. But moments like these-where discipline slips and emotions boil over-are part of what defines rivalry football in January. The Seahawks-49ers feud has long had fire, and this chapter just added a little more fuel.