San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw returned from his one-game suspension just in time to watch his team suffer its first loss of the season — and now he’s paying for it too.
The NFL fined Greenlaw $12,537 for unnecessary roughness in last Sunday’s 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, according to the league’s Week 7 accountability report released on Saturday.
The fine stems from a third-quarter play in which Greenlaw punched Falcons star wide receiver Drake London square in the helmet. The league categorized it as striking/kicking/kneeing.
It was Greenlaw’s first game back after serving a one-game suspension for headbutting a helmetless Ernest Jones IV during San Francisco’s Week 5 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Dre Greenlaw Can’t Stay Out of the NFL’s Crosshairs
At this point, the league office might as well have Greenlaw on speed dial. This is the third time in four games the 29-year-old has been disciplined by the NFL.
It started in Week 4 when Greenlaw was fined $11,941 for taunting his former team, the Denver Broncos, and head coach Sean Payton. A week later, he was flagged for a late hit on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold along Seattle’s sideline.
When a helmetless Jones got in his face, Greenlaw headbutted him and was ejected for the third time in his career. The NFL suspended him for one game without pay, and hearing officer James Thrash upheld it on appeal, which kept him out of the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Washington Commanders.
It’s not a new pattern either. Greenlaw was suspended one game last season with the Broncos after he chased down and verbally threatened referee Brad Allen following a win over the New York Giants.
Greenlaw’s Discipline is Adding Up
The fines alone aren’t going to break the bank. But the total cost of Greenlaw’s last month certainly isn’t pocket change.
Between the two fines ($24,478) and the suspension, which cost him $136,388 in base salary and a $23,529 active roster bonus, Greenlaw has been docked more than $184,000 since Week 4.
The missed game could cost him even more. Greenlaw signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with San Francisco this offseason that includes a $750,000 incentive for playing 75% of the defensive snaps, which doubles if the 49ers make the playoffs. Every snap he misses makes that tougher to reach.
Still, nobody is questioning the effort. Greenlaw has formed a strong 1-2 punch with Fred Warner in the middle of San Francisco’s defense.
But for a 6-1 team that’s already playing without Nick Bosa, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, the 49ers can’t afford to lose one of their defensive leaders to another suspension — and Greenlaw is running out of benefit of the doubt with the league office.
49ers’ Dre Greenlaw Hit With NFL Punishment in First Game Back From Suspension