It’s a play that San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton won’t live down anytime soon — and it could result in NFL punishment.
Halton’s dirty hit on Washington Commanders offensive lineman Sam Cosmi in Monday night’s win by the unbeaten 49ers forced Cosmi to leave the game and gave Halton’s reputation a big hit.
On the play, Halton comes running in and launches himself low at Cosmi’s knee as Cosmi is almost at a standstill.
“Dirty A** play by 93 of the 49ers,” Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe wrote on his official X account. “That’s bush league. Could really injure that man.”
“This is about as dirty an OL play as it gets,” Commanders fan Mitchell Tischler wrote on his official X account. “(Halton) lines up Cosmi’s knee and dives right at it. Hard to find a ‘football play’ in here.”
“WOW: Commanders fans are calling for 49ers rookie DT Gracen Halton to be SUSPENDED after his dirty low hit on standout guard Sam Cosmi,” ML Football wrote on its official X account. “Halton sent Cosmi to the medical tent. Fans are calling the play dirty and dangerous. THIS IS AWFUL. Disgusting.”
Gracen Halton Defended for Dirty Hit on Cosmi
At least one person defended Halton — however much of a reach that might be.
“First I want to say I hope Sam Cosmi is ok,” Coach Yac wrote on their official X account. “Hate seeing anyone injured. As for the play, I think Gracen Halton had tunnel vision diving for Jeremy McNichols ankles and was surprised that there was a leg in front of him.”
Injury Forced Gracen Halton Into Bigger Role
Halton has been a pleasant surprise for the 49ers as a rookie—especially after 6-foot-5, 332-pound starting defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who seemed poised for a breakout season, tore his patellar tendon at practice ahead of the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Halton, a 4th-round pick out of Oklahoma, went viral for a play in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans in which he dominated offensive lineman Peter Skoronski — a former 1st-round pick and the NFL’s highest-paid guard after signing a 4-year, $100 million contract extension on August 7.
“Once I get hot, it’s over with,” Halton told ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “I win one and then next thing you know, I’m in my head like, okay, I got this. So I build that confidence and it’s over.”
Halton went massively viral in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, where he dominated offensive lineman Peter Skoronski—a former 1st-round pick and the NFL’s highest-paid guard after signing a 4-year, $100 million contract extension on August 7.
“Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton was a fourth-round pick and brings value both as a pass-rusher and against the run,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote on August 4. “He earned a 76.9 PFF pass-rush grade after generating 30 pressures on 259 pass-rushing snaps in 2025. He was even better against the run, earning a career-high 87.5 PFF run-defense grade in his final season at Oklahoma.”
49ers Rookie Gracen Halton Ripped for ‘Dirty and Dangerous’ Hit Against Commanders