Getty Dre Greenlaw is expected to maintain his aggressive playing style.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t want linebacker Dre Greenlaw to change his play over a Week 13 ejection against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Greenlaw got ejected after he threw down Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith followed by a scuffle with Eagles security staff lead Dom DiSandro. The NFL hasn’t taken further action against Greenlaw for the incident, the linebacker confirmed on Wednesday.
“I think it’s extremely important and I think Dre’s as good at it as anyone I’ve been around,” Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday. “I think Dre is our enforcer. He is our most physical hitter.”
Opponents get hit by Greenlaw often, too. He has the second-most tackles on the team with 86, and he has 1.5 sacks this season.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who hit, but I think he shows up more than others, which when his own teammates say that, I think that’s the respect they give him,” Shanahan continued. “I think Dre’s unbelievable at it. How physical he plays and how hard he goes. The fact that it always looks close, but I know how hard Dre is not a dirty player at all.”
Kyle Shanahan: ‘He Plays One Way’
Dre Greenlaw with the big hit to force the fumble! #49ers
As Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski pointed out, Greenlaw has put himself in danger of a “dirty player” reputation. Greenlaw has eight unnecessary roughness penalties and two ejections the past 33 games he’s played, Kempski wrote.
“He plays one way,” Shanahan said about Greenlaw’s intensity. “That’s why he was so frustrated because he is trying so hard not to break the rules in his mind.”
“He wasn’t completely slamming a guy,” Shanahan added regarding Greenlaw and Smith. “His guy’s three yards inbound and he’s trying as hardest to get him down. Everything he does is physical. And if you can see at the end, he tried to let up at the last second. It happened to be a lighter player and Dre’s pretty strong.”
“Now, he should have been penalized for that, you can’t slam a guy. I just know the person. I know how hard and conscientious he is,” Shanahan said.
Dre Greenlaw’s First Ejection Came on a Helmet-to-Helmet Hit
Greenlaw’s first career ejection came on a much more serious hit — a helmet-to-helmet collision with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in 2022. Shanahan noted “that was a cutback and him trying to go right to the change and it was just an unfortunate deal” on the Herbert hit.
“But I’ve seen some physical guys in this league who do lean towards the aggressive side, not in a good way. I can’t tell you guys how hard Dre tries to not get a penalty. When he does, it’s usually right there on the line,” Shanahan said. “When you’re a physical player like him, that to me jumps off the screen to not just players in the league but to the fans and anyone. They look for it and it is a fine line, but his intent is exactly what you want in a football player.”
Greenlaw is expected to play in Week 14 against the Seattle Seahawks.