The NFL has benched San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw for a game after he headbutted a helmetless Ernest Jones IV during Sunday's wild win over Seattle.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw will sit out a game after the NFL handed down a one-game suspension on Monday. The punishment stems from a headbutt on Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV during the 49ers' 32-29 win on Sunday.
The flashpoint came after a late hit on the Seahawks sideline. In the chaos that followed, Greenlaw headbutted Jones, who was not wearing his helmet at the time. The league said the act was "contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship," and Jones was left bleeding after the contact.
The ban means Greenlaw will miss San Francisco's next game against the Washington Commanders. For a defense that leans on his instincts and intensity in the middle of the field, losing him is a real blow, even for a single week.
The NFL has repeatedly shown it will come down hard on player-safety violations, especially when a player without a helmet is involved. For Greenlaw, the lesson is a costly one: a heated moment on the sideline has now taken him off the field just as the 49ers need every defender available.
