49ers coach bans two stars after brawl as fiery joint practice with Titans leads to four ejections
Joint practices are infamous for scuffles, but the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans set a new precedent on Tuesday.
The 49ers and Titans will meet at Levi’s Stadium on Friday for a pre-season clash and got a good look at each other in practice this week.
Scuffles between the teams broke out even before the first snap took place.
David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reported that there were four fights within the first 10 minutes of scrimmage, the first taking place on the very first play of the session.
Titans rookie Carnell Tate took exception to Renardo Green aggressively throwing him to the ground, resulting in a massive pileup of shoving and yelling.
Tennessee offensive linemen Austin Deculus and Dan Moore Jr. both got kicked out of practice for throwing punches.
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49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who is recovering from a July car crash, said two of his defensive players were banned from practice following the fracas, but didn’t name and shame them.
The California Post added that 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris got in Tatum Bethune’s face, and Osa Odighizuwa and Moore Jr were involved in a separate scuffle.
All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, who was involved in a recent 10-men scuffle involving Christian McCaffrey, had to step in and act as the peacemaker, and organized a huddle with his teammates once things had calmed.
“We’re not trying to fight and do all this other stuff,” Warner said.
“We’re trying to play football and that’s what I had to try and tell the guys early on.
“I brought everybody together and told them like, ’We’re not going to get through today if we continue on this path.
“We got to play football. I think we kind of found our groove a little bit after some of that fiery business going on in the beginning.”
Robert Saleh and Shanahan share wisdom
The joint practice served as a mini-reunion between Shanahan and Titans head coach Robert Saleh.
Saleh was hired by the Titans this offseason after spending 2025 as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator.
Saleh was instrumental in the Niners injury-plagued run to the NFC Divisional round, where they fell at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
“It’s good to pick his brain. Looking forward to talking to him tonight after we both watch the tape just to see what he sees,” Saleh said.
“He’s always been, a mentor in that regard. He’s an elite teacher and I’m all ears when he starts talking.”
This will be Saleh’s second opportunity as an NFL head coach, having spent three-and-a-half seasons leading the New York Jets between 2021-24, where he posted a 20-36 losing record.
Quarterback issues in the Big Apple marred his tenure there, but that should be no issue in Tennessee, who have the promising Cam Ward about to embark on his sophomore season following a steady rookie season after going No. 1 overall in 2025.
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