SEATTLE -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was ejected in the second quarter of Sunday's divisional showdown with the Seahawks after a late hit and an ensuing head-butt delivered on Seattle's sideline.
With 6:30 left in the first half and the Niners leading 14-10, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold scrambled toward Seattle's sideline, picking up 5 yards and stepping out of bounds as Greenlaw hit him.
Greenlaw was flagged for a late hit, and a handful of Seahawks players surrounded him, including linebacker Ernest Jones IV. Jones and Greenlaw exchanged words before Greenlaw, still wearing his helmet, leaned in and made contact with Jones' face while he wasn't wearing a helmet.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said he couldn't see what happened but based on what he was told, he understood the ejection.
"That's how it is," Shanahan said. "You're going to get baited big time, especially when you're on their bench. They're going to get close, and they told me that he head-butted a guy without a helmet. So, if that's exactly what happened then we got to be a lot smarter than that. Can't do that."
Linebacker Fred Warner, who said the play seemed to happen in slow motion, tried his best to get to Seattle's sideline to get Greenlaw out of the fray but couldn't arrive in time.
"I tried to get there as fast as I could," he said. "I was too far away. He's helpless in that situation. He's all by himself on their sideline. Of course, they're trying to gang up on him, and good on them for baiting him into doing something. But we know we got to be smart in all those situations.
"It's just an unfortunate situation."
After breaking up the ensuing skirmish, officials announced Greenlaw's ejection.
Rookie Jaden Dugger replaced Greenlaw at weakside linebacker, and veteran Luke Gifford stepped into Dugger's place on the strong side. San Francisco went on to win 32-29. Dugger finished with nine tackles and a sack while Gifford chipped in a forced fumble.
It marked Greenlaw's third career ejection. He had previously been disqualified for a late hit on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in 2022 and for a similar sideline dustup in a 2023 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Greenlaw is coming off an emotional game against the Broncos last week in which he repeatedly yelled at Denver's sideline and coach Sean Payton throughout the win. Greenlaw was fined $11,941 by the NFL on Saturday for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Shanahan said that he and Greenlaw did not discuss the ejection after the game, but the coach added that they will talk about it Monday.
"We just celebrated there," Shanahan said. "We'll clean that stuff up tomorrow. He knows he's got to be smarter."
Greenlaw is subject to further discipline from the league. According to the NFL's guidelines, Greenlaw could be fined more than $40,000 for a first offense for fighting, with other possibilities including a fine for striking an opponent ($12,537) and/or unsportsmanlike conduct ($14,926).
A suspension is also possible, though it is not automatic following an ejection. The league suspended Greenlaw for one game last season when he was with the Broncos for unsportsmanlike conduct when he ran toward referee Brad Allen and, according to the ruling, "verbally threatened him."