The NFL announced Monday it suspended San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw for one game for headbutting Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV.
The league cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 to say the incident qualified as an unsportsmanlike act.
Greenlaw will appeal the punishment, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera or James Thrash will oversee the appeal based on the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
The Niners veteran was ejected in the second quarter of Sunday’s 32-29 win over the Seahawks. He found himself on Seattle’s sideline after giving a late shove out of bounds to Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold.
Jones, who didn’t have his helmet on, and Greenlaw briefly exchanged words before Greenlaw thrust his head forward:
The ejection didn’t impact the outcome.
The Seahawks scored 13 unanswered points in the third quarter but cooled off when it counted. San Francisco briefly took the lead when Brock Purdy hit Brandin Cooks for a seven-yard touchdown pass in the fourth. After a 40-yard field goal from Jason Myers tied the game, Eddy Pineiro provided the decisive score with a 44-yarder.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan will now have a week to prepare for the potential that Garret Wallow or another linebacker is starting in Greenlaw’s place.
San Francisco faces off with the Washington Commanders in Week 6.
The matchup got a little trickier with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels returning from a dislocated elbow for Sunday’s 27-27 tie with the New York Giants. He threw for 199 yards and was the game’s leading rusher (103 yards) while scoring twice on the ground.