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San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was seen headbutting Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba during their playoff loss on Saturday night.
The incident took place in the second half of the match. Lenoir and Smith-Njigba had words before the defensive back smashed his helmet into the Seahawks receiver’s face mask. No penalty was called on the play as it appeared the referees missed the incident.
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Deommodore Lenoir #2 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play in the first quarter of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on January 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
Smith-Njigba got the last laugh as Seattle won the game, 41-6. Smith-Njigba had three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown. His brother fired off a post aimed at Lenoir after the game.
“Jax always wanted a little brother to bully. Welcome to the family,” Canaan Smith-Njigba wrote on X.
Lenoir had three tackles during the game, but the entire defense had a tough time covering Sam Darnold and the rest of the Seahawks offense.
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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Seattle had 281 total yards and the Seahawks’ defense forced three turnovers.
Lenoir said the game would have been a “slide” in the 49ers’ favor if the team was fully healthy.
“Getting them back, I mean, it’s going to be a whole different battle,” he said via KNBR. “But I mean, we can’t make any excuses. We had enough guys in here to get the job done. So I feel like it just didn’t go our way today.”
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) carries the ball for a touchdown as San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) covers the play in the second half of an NFC divisional round game at Lumen Field on Jan. 17, 2026. (Steven Bisig/Imagn Images)
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Seattle will play the winner of the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears in the divisional round of the NFC Championship.
