San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn’t interested in defending linebacker Dre Greenlaw after his controversial ejection against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, October 11.
Greenlaw was tossed in the second quarter after headbutting Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, during a heated confrontation on the Seahawks sideline.
Shanahan acknowledged that Greenlaw found himself in a difficult situation surrounded by opposing players. Still, he made it clear that the linebacker’s response was unacceptable.
“I didn’t totally see it. I was told,” Shanahan said. “That’s how it is. You’re going to get baited big time, especially when you’re on their bench.”
“They told me he headbutted a guy without a helmet. If that’s exactly what happened, then we’ve got to be smarter than that. You can’t do that.”
Kyle Shanahan Calls Out Dre Greenlaw After Seahawks Incident
The confrontation began with approximately six minutes remaining in the second quarter of San Francisco’s 32-29 victory over Seattle.
Greenlaw pursued Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold toward the sideline on a scramble and delivered an additional shove as Darnold went out of bounds. Officials flagged Greenlaw for unnecessary roughness.
The linebacker subsequently found himself surrounded by Seahawks players on Seattle’s sideline. Jones approached Greenlaw and pushed his facemask before Greenlaw responded by striking Jones with his helmet.
Jones, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, was left bleeding following the confrontation. Greenlaw was ejected following a review by the NFL’s officiating center in New York.
For Shanahan, the circumstances explained why Greenlaw might have lost his composure, but they didn’t justify his actions.
That distinction is particularly important for a player whose physicality and intensity have become central parts of his identity. The 49ers rely on Greenlaw to bring an edge to their defense, but that edge becomes a liability when it takes him off the field.
Despite losing Greenlaw before halftime, San Francisco escaped Seattle with a three-point victory and improved to 5-0.
Dre Greenlaw’s Disciplinary History Raises Questions About NFL Punishment
Unfortunately for Greenlaw, Sunday’s ejection was hardly an isolated incident.
Just one week earlier, the NFL fined Greenlaw $11,941 for taunting the Denver Broncos‘ sideline during San Francisco’s Week 4 victory.
Greenlaw also served a one-game suspension in 2025 while playing for Denver after confronting an official following a game against the New York Giants.
His history includes two previous ejections with San Francisco. In 2022, officials disqualified Greenlaw for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. The following season, Greenlaw was ejected after an altercation with Philadelphia Eagles security official Dom DiSandro.
Now, his latest incident presents another disciplinary question for the NFL.
Under the league’s published 2026 fine schedule, a first offense for fighting carries a standard fine of $41,907, while a second offense carries an $83,815 figure. The schedule also lists fines for impermissible use of the helmet, although the ultimate classification of Greenlaw’s actions will be up to the league.
Those figures are not confirmation of Greenlaw’s punishment, and a suspension has not been announced.
Any additional discipline would be particularly frustrating for San Francisco. Greenlaw entered Sunday’s matchup with 34 tackles through four games, ranking second on the team.
Shanahan’s response suggests the coach understands the confrontation that preceded Greenlaw’s ejection. What he cannot accept is another preventable incident that leaves his defense without one of its most important players.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Gives Dre Greenlaw Blunt Verdict After Ejection