San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw has been suspended for one game, the NFL announced on Oct. 12.
The suspension stems from his actions during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, in which Greenlaw used his helmet to headbutt linebacker Ernest Jones, who was not wearing a helmet.
Along with his suspension, Greenlaw was ejected from the 49ers’ Week 5 win over the Seahawks. As a result, that action will have cost the veteran linebacker a game and a half.
Greenlaw was involved in an exchange with Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton in Week 5, which led to a fine. With Greenlaw bringing that emotion and edge, which can lead to a fine or suspension, Grant Cohn of the San Francisco 49ers on SI gave the linebacker a comparison to another Bay Area athlete.
“It’s not the first time that he started a fight with the entire team on the sideline,” Cohn said in an Oct. 12 video. “He’s almost 30 years old. He only has himself to blame. Nothing about what he did was smart or helpful for the team. Now, his passion, his emotion, the anger with which he plays is infectious, and the Niners need it.
“But at a certain point in his career, he has to find the line and stop going over it because the NFL isn’t sympathetic to him. He really is the 49ers’ Draymond Green. Draymond Green gets in the same situation. The referees hate him. The league makes an example out of him, and he makes these mistakes at the absolute worst time. Greenlaw needs to not do that.”
49ers Need Dre Greenlaw on the Field
Moreover, Cohn is urging Greenlaw to find a middle ground while still playing with that emotion, given that the Niners need him on the field and not being suspended or being on the league’s radar for a potential suspension.
“[The 49ers] lost the Super Bowl not because he lost his cool, but because he lost his Achilles,” Cohn added. “They need him on the field; they still use his absence as an excuse for why they lost. They felt they would have won had he been on the field. So don’t take yourself off.
“Thank goodness the Niners are facing the Washington Commanders next week and can win without him. But can’t afford any more of these ones, Dre. That’s the last time.”
Greenlaw has played 226 total snaps for San Francisco, leading to a 77.0 overall PFF defensive grade. The 49ers veteran has recorded 26 solo tackles, five total pressures, and 18 stops.
Dre Greenlaw Could Appeal His Suspension
Greenlaw is a repeat offender given that he was previously suspended one game in 2025 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Nonetheless, Greenlaw could appeal this suspension, per Pro Football Talk.
If the veteran does decide to take that route, his suspension would be heard and decided upon by the NFL and NFLPA’s jointly appointed hearing officers: Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera, or James Thrash.
Still, as Cohn mentioned, the 49ers should be able to get by without Greenlaw against the Commanders, who are 1-3-1 after their Week 5 tie with the New York Giants.
49ers’ Dre Greenlaw Gets Blunt Draymond Green Comparison After Suspension