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San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was hit with a $11,593 fine from the NFL following an unnecessary roughness/late hit flag involving Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, according to the league’s weekly fines report.
The fine stems from a third-quarter sequence in the 49ers’ 48-27 win over the Colts on Monday Night Football on December 22.
What happened on the play
The official gamebook has the moment logged at 10:53 remaining in the third quarter, the first play of an Indianapolis drive after a kickoff. Taylor ran right guard for no gain, and Lenoir was then flagged for unnecessary roughness (15 yards), enforced at the Colts’ 35-yard line.
Some coverage of the incident framed it as Lenoir attempting a punch-out/strip after the whistle near Taylor as the back was getting up, which is where the “late hit” characterization comes from in the fines listing.
Why it mattered in the game: that 15-yard penalty moved the ball to midfield and helped keep the drive alive; the Colts ultimately turned the possession into points with a 51-yard field goal a few minutes later.
What the fine means for the 49ers
Practically, it’s a wallet hit—not a suspension—and Lenoir remains a key piece of San Francisco’s secondary. The bigger takeaway is the timing: the NFL’s fine confirms the league viewed the contact as unnecessary after the play had ended, even if the on-field moment looked to some like a standard effort to jar the ball loose.
The NFL fined 49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir $11,593 for a late hit when he tried to punch the ball away from Colts RB Jonathan Taylor.
The NFL did NOT fine either Indianapolis defensive players Germaine Pratt or Camryn Bynum for their borderline hip-drop tackles vs. George Kittle.
From a “clean-it-up” standpoint, this is the type of penalty that can flip leverage in tighter games, free yardage, extended drives, and scoring chances. Against playoff-level opponents, that’s the margin the 49ers can’t hand away.
The weekly fines list is also a reminder that the NFL is still looking hard at anything that reads as contact after the whistle, especially when a runner is being stood up or the play is clearly finished. Even when defenders say they’re “playing to the echo” or trying to finish with a strip attempt, the league often draws a line once the runner is down and the action has stopped.
It’s also worth noting that a fine doesn’t change the game result, but it can shape how a player is officiated going forward. Officials and opponents know what got flagged and fined, and that can put a spotlight on similar moments in the next few games.
If Lenoir wants to push back, players can appeal fines through the NFLPA process, though most end as a “learn from it and move on” week-to-week lesson.
Key details at a glance
Player: Deommodore Lenoir (San Francisco 49ers)
Fine: $11,593
Reason: Unnecessary roughness / “late hit”
When (gamebook): 3rd quarter, 10:53
Play context: Taylor run for no gain; penalty enforced; drive later ends in a Colts FG
Stats, standings and what’s next
The fine arrives as the 49ers are playing high-leverage football late in the season. San Francisco improved to 11-4 with the win over Indianapolis, and looks forward to a regular season finale against Seattle looming as the division race stayed tight.
For Lenoir and the defense, the coaching point is simple: be violent within the whistle, because the league is still reviewing these moments after the fact, and the fines tend to follow the official framing.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Anderson is also the host of The Rip City Pod on The I-5 Corridor, where he dives into the stories and personalities shaping the Portland Trail Blazers. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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