Dre Greenlaw played with fire on the Seattle Seahawks sideline on Sunday, and now it’s costing him a game check. After driving his helmet into the bare face of Seahawks linebacker Earnest Jones IV – leaving Jones bloodied and prompting the league office to slap Greenlaw with an in-game ejection – the NFL officially stepped in on Monday to take the San Francisco 49ers’ starting linebacker off the field for a week.
“Per the NFL: 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw has been suspended without pay for one game for an act of unsportsmanlike conduct during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks,” NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on X. “During the second quarter, Greenlaw used his helmet to headbutt Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who was not wearing a helmet, violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.
“Greenlaw will be eligible to return to the 49ers’ active roster on Tuesday, October 20, following the team’s October 19 game against the Washington Commanders.”
The incident unfolded with 6:23 left in the second quarter. San Francisco held a 14-10 lead when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold scrambled five yards on a second-and-7 before stepping out of bounds. Greenlaw pushed him past the sideline boundary and shoved him late, sending both players onto the turf on Seattle’s sideline.
Officials threw a flag on Greenlaw’s play, but the situation escalated the moment both players got up. Multiple Seahawks players surrounded Greenlaw as he was confronted by Earnest Jones. In response to Jones’ comments, Greenlaw drove the crown of his helmet straight into Jones’ face – who wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time. Jones was seen bleeding from the point where the helmet hit, and Greenlaw’s teammates – Fred Warner and others – rushed in to pull Greenlaw away before the situation grew worse.
Now, referee Land Clark’s crew had only flagged Greenlaw 15 yards for the late hit on Darnold. The headbutt itself was caught on video by Art McNally GameDay Central in New York, where league officials used the updated non-football act rule to buzz down to Clark and eject Greenlaw on the spot. But that was only the beginning, as using a helmet against a defenseless player made the suspension inevitable.
Even head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t defend the hit after the game, despite the 49ers holding on for a 32-29 victory to improve to 5-0 on the season.
“That’s how it is. You’re going to get baited big time, especially when you’re on their bench,” Shanahan said postgame. “They told me he headbutted a guy without a helmet. So, if that’s exactly what happened, then yeah, we’ve got to be a lot smarter than that. Can’t do that.”
Dre Greenlaw might not have any leverage with the league disciplinarians either. Sunday marked his third career regular season ejection, following a 2022 helmet-to-helmet hit on Justin Herbert in 2022, and his 2023 sideline confrontation with Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro. He was also suspended for a game while with Denver for chasing down referee Brad Allen, and came into Week 5 this season just days after getting fined $11,941 for taunting his former head coach Sean Payton. But as Schefter notes, Greenlaw still has a chance.
“Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Greenlaw may appeal the suspension,” wrote Schefter. “Any appeal will be heard and decided upon by either Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera, or James Thrash, the hearing officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.”
Unless one of them overturns the ruling on Dre Greenlaw, the 49ers will have to rely on rookie Jaden Dugger and veteran Luke Gifford alongside Warner against the Commanders coming to town for Week 6.