NFL Announces Punishment for 49ers’ Deommodore Lenoir

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(Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)

The San Francisco 49ers‘ 2025 NFL season is over, but two players on the Niners are receiving bad news regarding their team’s loss in the divisional round to the Seattle Seahawks.

49ers’ Deommodore Lenoir and Dee Winters appeared in the NFL’s Gameday Accountability report on Jan. 24 for their actions against the Seahawks. As part of the fine process, players are notified of violations and may appeal any ruling.

Moreover, cases are heard by appeals officers and former NFL players, Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster or Jordy Nelson, who are jointly appointed and paid by the NFL/NFLPA. As a result, the decisions made are final and binding.

Lenoir received the bigger fine of the two players due to an incident in the third quarter at the 10:05-minute mark for unnecessary roughness. The 49ers’ standout used his helmet on the opposition, leading to the NFL to fine him $20,944.

Meanwhile, Winters also received a fine for unnecessary roughness. However, his fine was much smaller. Winters received his financial penalty for an incident in the third quarter at the 4:01-minute mark for a hip-drop tackle. As a result, the NFL is fining him $5,907.

Niners Urged to Make Massive Upgrades at Offensive Line

Nonetheless, aside from these fines, the 49ers are in full offseason mode and need to improve their team, especially in a competitive division like the NFC West. The Niners will need to replace their defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, who took the Tennessee Titans job.

There are also issues on offense that San Francisco will need to address as it looks to become a Super Bowl contender in 2026. Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young pointed to the offensive line as a major concern for the team. He believes that strengthening that unit is key to getting the most out of Brock Purdy.

“Well, every quarterback needs an offensive line, and they’ve got to be Top 10,” Young Said during a Jan. 22 appearance on KNBR. “With Trent [Williams] in the game, are they Top 10? I’d say it comes and goes. I thought they had some great games this year, but we need to get back to the 2019 offensive line, where we’re the best in the league [or] Top 3.”

49ers Cannot Rely Solely on Christian McCaffrey in 2026

Moreover, the Niners need to improve their weapons around Purdy. Christian McCaffrey is one of the few players that the signal-caller leaned on this past season. McCaffrey had 311 carries for 1,202 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in 17 games this season, per StatMuse.

As a result, Young doesn’t want the 49ers to lean heavily on McCaffrey next season.

“We don’t need speed as much as other squads because we have a lot of tactics,” Young added. “But it can’t be the Christian McCaffrey show. We know that. That’s asking too much of Christian, way too much of Christian. I think it affects Christian’s running game. I don’t think we get the full measure of Christian as a runner when he has to do six other things.”

It will be interesting to see if the Niners take Young’s advise to improve their squad.

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo

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