Dre Greenlaw barked at Sean Payton, was mad coach didn’t call him about getting cut

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton took the high road when he was asked about San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw on Sunday.

The same can’t be said for Greenlaw postgame.

After Payton said he thinks the world of Greenlaw and “loves everything about him,” Greenlaw took a different tone with Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“I told him to get the f— off the field,” Dre Greenlaw said of his viral postgame moment with Payton. “That’s it: ‘Get the f— off the field.’”

The Broncos cut Greenlaw after one disappointing season in Denver in which he finished with 43 tackles in eight regular season outings. He fought injuries and was also suspended for a game.

Greenlaw claimed to Branch that Payton had been ignoring him since Week 12 of last season, unhappy with his play and Denver’s return on its investment.

“He would walk by — I would walk by — and he wouldn’t even look at me because of my injury. So I just knew what it was (with him) there,” Dre Greenlaw told Branch.

Greenlaw added that he was “1,000 percent” more amped because of his dislike for Payton, and the cameras caught Greenlaw barking at the Denver head coach multiple times throughout the game.

That might’ve been because Payton didn’t call Greenlaw when the Broncos released him, instead finding out through his agent.

“The disrespect,” Greenlaw said. “He couldn’t be man to man and call my phone and say, ‘We’re going to cut you.’”

Greenlaw clearly used all that as fuel, leading the 49ers with 12 tackles in a 24-14 win over the Broncos. He took what he saw as disrespect and turned it into motivation.

And for now, Dre Greenlaw gets the last laugh — even if Payton was more okay with the breakup than him.

Related

Report: Broncos WR Pat Bryant sprained his ankle, timeline revealed for returnBroncos haven’t fixed the glitches; their September issues remained unsolved as October began with a thudBroncos CB Surtain appears to have avoided long-term injury: ReportBo Nix reaffirms his ankle is not an issueSean Payton has nothing but love for Dre Greenlaw after he chirps Broncos sidelineBo Nix is ‘real confident’ in Davis Webb after another ugly day from Broncos offense