49ers' Dre Greenlaw Suspended One Game for Headbutt in Win Over Seahawks
San Francisco will have to win without Dre Greenlaw next week. The NFL suspended the 49ers linebacker one game on Monday for headbutting Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV during San Francisco's 32-29 win on Sunday in Seattle.
The flashpoint came in the second quarter. With 6:04 left in the first half, Greenlaw headbutted Jones on the sideline while Jones was without his helmet, according to Reuters. Jones was left bleeding from the hit. Officials ejected Greenlaw from the game on the spot, ending his afternoon early.
An ejection means immediate removal, and a team cannot replace that player for the rest of the game. For San Francisco, that meant finishing a tight road game in a loud stadium down a starting defender. The 49ers held on for the three-point win anyway, taking a divisional victory on the road.
The sequence started a moment earlier. Greenlaw hit Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold late after Darnold had gone out of bounds, drawing a personal foul — a penalty for illegal and unsafe contact. Players from both sides gathered near the Seattle sideline after the flag. Greenlaw then headbutted Jones, who had his helmet off, according to NBC Sports.
In announcing the suspension, the league said Greenlaw's act was "contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship," per The Guardian. The ban covers next Monday night's game against Washington. Greenlaw can appeal the decision, which would put the case before a league-appointed hearing officer.
It is the latest disciplinary mark for a physical and emotional player. Sunday was the third ejection of Greenlaw's career. Last season, while with the Denver Broncos, he sat out one game for berating an official after a win over the New York Giants.
Greenlaw returned to San Francisco this season after spending 2025 in Denver. He has 37 tackles in five games, settling back into the middle of the 49ers defense. He missed most of the 2024 season after tearing his Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII, according to NFL.com.
What makes this stand out is the timing. Greenlaw fought back from a serious injury to reclaim a starting role. Now San Francisco must rework its linebacker rotation on a short week before Washington visits on Monday night.
