League Talking To 49ers About Sideline Hit
San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday there's been communication between the NFL and the team after Seattle's Jeremy Lane ran into an unidentified person on the 49ers sideline during the NFC championship game.
Harbaugh said that general manager Trent Baalke had spoken to the league.
"Yeah. There has been some contact there. Trent's talked to them about that," Harbaugh said. "I do, though, have a perspective of that because I did see it. I was standing closer to the sideline than the person that got run into."
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Monday that the Seahawks had reached out to the league to find out more about what happened. Carroll said he was disappointed there was not a penalty called on the play.
Lane was running downfield on punt coverage on the first play of the second quarter of Seattle's 23-17 win Sunday. Lane was blocked into the 49ers bench then ran into a person on the sideline not in uniform. Lane popped up and returned to the field.
Harbaugh said Tuesday that "our guy was in a spot back where he was supposed to be. I saw it with my own two eyes."
"You don't know which way to go other than you kind of hold your ground and protect yourself," Harbaugh said. "That was his reaction and mine as well. I would be willing to be called and say the same thing on the record."