Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni defended “Big Dom” DiSandro on Monday amidst reports of the NFL launching an investigation into the security staffer’s altercation with 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
During his Monday news conference, Sirianni asserted that DiSandro was trying to “defuse” the situation with Greenlaw during a third-quarter scuffle that led to both being ejected from San Francisco’s 42-19 victory on Sunday.
“Dom is as good as they get in this business,” Sirianni told reporters. “I’m so thankful for him. He’s gonna always try to defuse situations. That’s what he does. That’s his job.
“Obviously unfortunate, yesterday. I know it — in Dom’s heart — he truly was trying to defuse the situation right there. I’m sad that it came to what it came to, that anybody got thrown out of the game.”
While Sirianni supported DiSandro, the confrontation doesn’t reasonably appear to be an attempt to “defuse” the situation. Tensions escalated when Greenlaw tackled Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith after the whistle near the Philadelphia sideline. DiSandro stepped in between the two, putting his hands on Greenlaw and giving him a shove, rather than pulling Smith away.
Contrary to defusing the situation, Greenlaw responded with a swipe, resulting in his ejection. DiSandro, too, was ejected, despite his role as the Eagles’ head of security, which didn’t influence the game’s outcome. However, his involvement led to a net positive for the Eagles, as a key 49ers defender was escorted off the field.
