The San Francisco 49ers have begun training camp, and a few days ago, wide receiver Jauan Jennings and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir got into a bit of a dustup, which bodes well for the upcoming season.
Apparently it was not a huge fight or anything. It seemed to just be a small kerfuffle, if you will, between two intense competitors.
Lenoir spoke about the incident to the media and brushed it off with a joke, saying, "That's just how we greet each other."
Deommodore Lenoir on his mixup with Jauan Jennings at 49ers practice on Friday:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) July 27, 2025
“That’s just how we greet each other. That was our first day being able to see each other full tilt.” pic.twitter.com/ML7WfdjaGz
One might think it is a bad thing to see teammates fighting at all in training camp, but this seems to have been a case of healthy competitive juices flowing. This was a far cry from the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole.
One could even argue that this dustup is a good thing for the Niners.
On a recent episode of the 49ers Talk podcast by NBC Sports Bay Area, reporters Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discussed the incident and noted how they did not see any dustups like that in training camp last year, which made it stand out a little bit more.
These sorts of things happen all the time during practices, but it shows that there is a marked change between last season and this season.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has spoken about how he felt the team was not ready to come back to training camp last year. They were still reeling from a devastating Super Bowl loss and many players probably wanted more time off after a long and grueling season that ultimately ended in heartbreak.
That hangover certainly seeped its way into the regular season as the Niners felt lethargic and a little unmotivated at times on their way to a disappointing 6-11 record.
Even during that disappointing season, Jennings and Lenoir were two guys who absolutely balled out. Lenoir earned himself a contract extension and Jennings may do the same very soon. Both players are going to be leaders in 2025, so to see them going at it already sets the tones for the rest of the team, especially young players, that they are here to compete and play hard.
It may seem like something small, but these little moments can tell us important things about a team. It appears the 49ers are ready to bounce back and play with desire and hunger again after 2024 which is a more than welcome development.