49ers' Dre Greenlaw ejected after head-butt in Seahawks game - ESPN

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