Week 4 brought fireworks as the San Francisco 49ers (21-26) suffered their first loss of the season, falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a tense showdown. Emotions ran high, but the real drama came after the final whistle, when sideline tension spilled into the press room.

The spotlight shifted to a heated exchange between Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. When asked about it postgame, Kyle Shanahan responded, “No, (I) tried to clear it up, but I didn’t see what happened, so I’m not sure.” But he then gave  a strong four-word message to Coen, “(I don’t think) he should be that sensitive (about it).” The coach further added, “It is what it is. Not too worried about it.”

The moment unfolded after Robert Saleh’s press conference last week, where the 49ers defensive coordinator accused the Jaguars of stealing signs from other teams. But it wasn’t just a swipe at Jacksonville’s head coach, it was aimed at the entire Sean McVay coaching tree.

Saleh said, “(they are) really advanced signal-stealing-type system where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation. They’re almost elite in that regard. That whole entire tree from Sean (McVay) to Kevin O’Connell to all of those guys, they all do it.”

In the week 4 matchup, the Jaguars had the last laugh as they won the game by 26-21. After a lackluster first quarter, they took a huge 17-6 lead at halftime. While the 49ers stopped the Jags from scoring in the last quarter, they couldn’t close the lead and lost. The theatrics began after the game.

Coen, known for being a bit short-tempered, shook hands with Kyle Shanahan. But when it came to Saleh, Coen got angry. A video showed him yelling, “Keep my name out of your mouth!” Jaguars offensive lineman Robert Hainsey and staff pulled Coen away, while 49ers staff stepped in to support Saleh. Shanahan stayed back, observing from a distance.

The Jaguars’ head coach was also asked about the situation during the post-game conference.

Kyle Shanahan’s counterpart brushes off the heated exchange

After winning the game, the Jaguars’ head coach was happy. Yet, when asked the most pressing question about his heated exchange, he did not address the matter and said, “Not a big deal. Just keep that between us … Just going to keep that between us right now, that is it.”

That’s his way of dealing with issues. Even when he was asked about the sign-stealing accusation during the media conference on Friday, September 26, he brushed it aside. Shahahan’s counterpart had then said, “Yeah, I’m not going to speak on that fully right now, have a huge game for us coming up this weekend.”

In his first stint as the head coach, emotions have got the better of him in almost every game. During the Week 2 matchup against the Bengals, after quarterback Trevor Lawrence missed a high throw to Dyami Brown late in the game, Coen was seen yelling from the sideline, urging his quarterback to “hit his guys in the chest.” The moment was captured on broadcast footage, showing Coen slamming his chest in frustration.

Lawrence responded by waving Coen off, a gesture that drew attention across social media and sports shows. The Jaguars went on to lose the game 31-27 after failing to convert on a crucial fourth down, setting up a game-winning drive for Cincinnati.

When asked about the sideline exchange, Coen downplayed the incident, saying, “It was just one throw. I was pissed. It is what it is. That’s emotion. It’s not personal, ever.” He also praised Lawrence’s composure, adding, “He’s pretty even-keel, which is good for me. I need that.”

However, with such moments of coaches trying to go down the physical route, the league certainly needs to intervene. After all, Roger Goodell wants to project a positive image in the audience’s minds.