In the second quarter of Sunday’s divisional showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks At Seattle’s Lumen Field, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw is ejected from the game after he headbutted Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV while Greenlaw was wearing a helmet and Jones was not.
On Monday, the NFL announced some expected news regarding Greenlaw’s availability for the 49ers’ Week 6 “Monday Night Football” home game against the 1-3-1 Washington Commanders on Oct. 19.
How many games will Dre Greenlaw miss after the incident at the Seahawks game?
As shared by NFL insider Tom Pelissero and others, the league suspended Greenlaw for one game without pay “for an act of unsportsmanlike conduct” in the Seattle contest.
“Greenlaw may appeal the suspension,” Pelissero added. “Any appeal will be heard and decided by Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera or James Thrash, the hearing officers jointly appointed and paid by the NFL and (the NFL Players Association) to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.”
As ESPN’s Nick Wagoner explained, Greenlaw was initially flagged for a late hit on Sam Darnold when Greenlaw hit the Seahawks quarterback after Darnold went out of bounds at the end of a scramble. Jones and other Seahawks players surrounded Greenlaw, who reacted by touching Jones’ face while wearing a helmet. The 49ers eventually earned a 32-29 win over the Seahawks that improved San Francisco to 5-0.
Dre Greenlaw’s history is against him
Monday’s development was not surprising, as NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested Sunday night that Greenlaw would likely have to serve some sort of suspension because of his history.
“He’s been ejected three times,” Florio wrote of Greenlaw. “In 2022, Greenlaw was sent to the shower early for an illegal hit on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. In 2023, Greenlaw was dumped after a sideline incident that first introduced him to a national audience [Philadelphia Eagles employee Dom DiSandro]. Last year, Greenlaw was suspended for one game as a result of his post-game interactions with referee Brad Allen following a game between the Giants and the Broncos, where Greenlaw played in 2025.”
Barring a successful appeal, Greenlaw will not miss the Week 6 matchup against the Commanders. Shortly after that news, DraftKings Sportsbook listed San Francisco as a 7.5-point home favorite over Washington.