San Francisco 49ers fans know how fiery linebacker Dre Greenlaw can get. That’s part of why he’s so good, but it gets him into trouble sometimes, as it did on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Greenlaw hit quarterback Sam Darnold late near Seattle’s sideline and drew a penalty. Understandably, Seattle’s sideline was furious about the play, and Seahawks defender Ernest Jones got in Greenlaw’s face, baiting him a bit.
49ers LB Dre Greenlaw was ejected after headbutting Ernest Jones IV on this play.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 11, 2026
(📺 FOX) pic.twitter.com/6LcENiGtvx
Greenlaw then made a really ill-advised move by headbutting Jones, who did not have a helmet on. Greenlaw got ejected from the game in the second quarter, and while San Francisco has a 21-13 lead at halftime, they are obviously going to miss Greenlaw’s presence out on the field in the second half.
This situation immediately brought to mind the infamous Greenlaw-Big Dom heavyweight bout that took place in Philadelphia against the Eagles back in 2023. Greenlaw got into it with Philadelphia’s sideline, and Dom DiSandro, the head of security for the Eagles, got up in Greenlaw’s face, and Greenlaw took a swing at him. They were both ejected.
Thankfully, the Niners went on to win that game in convincing fashion, so maybe that bodes well for San Francisco’s chances the rest of the game versus Seattle.
Dre Greenlaw's suspension may not be only consequence for 49ers
Still, Greenlaw’s actions could easily result in more discipline from the NFL. A fine seems likely, and one cannot even rule out the potential for a further suspension, which would really hurt San Francisco going forward.
We know how big an impact Greenlaw can have. 49ers fans will never forget when he tore his Achilles during the Super Bowl a few years ago against the Kansas City Chiefs. Missing a guy like him on the field for the bulk of that game was such a blow, and who knows how that game might have turned out if Greenlaw hadn’t gotten injured.
Greenlaw’s fire is part of what makes him great, but he has to learn to control it better. Bay Area sports fans know that Golden State Warriors legend Draymond Green often deals with the same issues, and they really are similar players in how fiery and emotional they are, but sometimes they cross the line.
Now San Francisco will have to try and get a win against a really good team without one of its best defenders due to a bad decision. That just can’t happen, and one hopes Greenlaw learns from this and is smarter going forward while still retaining the fire that makes him such a great player.
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