The San Francisco 49ers played more than a half without Dre Greenlaw on Sunday and still beat the Seattle Seahawks 32-29 to stay unbeaten.

On Monday, the NFL suspended the linebacker one game without pay for headbutting Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, on the Seattle sideline. The headbutt had already gotten Greenlaw ejected in the second quarter.

Former NFL player and sports analyst Emmanuel Acho said in a post on X that the league got it wrong, arguing that a fine on top of the ejection would have been enough.

Critics Reject Emmanuel Acho’s 1.5-Game Math on Dre Greenlaw Suspension

“Fine him a game check, and leave it at that,” Acho wrote. “He already missed an entire half of one of the most important games this season. So now you’re suspending him 1.5 games.”

The sequence started when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold scrambled with the 49ers up 14-10. Greenlaw was flagged for a late hit after the quarterback went out of bounds, and several Seattle players confronted him on their sideline, Jones among them.

Mark Butterworth, the NFL’s vice president of instant replay, told a pool reporter that a rule the clubs passed this year lets the league’s command center in New York eject a player even without a flag, though one was down on this play.

He said word of the ejection came from Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, and that Greenlaw was out for a non-football act.

The league said in a statement Monday that Greenlaw “used his helmet to headbutt Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who was not wearing a helmet,” a violation of its unsportsmanlike conduct rule.

Nolan Mangiamelli, a Las Vegas Raiders fan, answered Acho with that same detail. “Bruh he head butted someone who wasn’t wearing a helmet.”

Asked after the game whether he disagreed with the decision to eject Greenlaw, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he did not, though he noted that players get baited on an opponent’s bench.

“They told me that he had butted a guy without a helmet. So if that’s exactly what happened, then yeah, we got to be a lot smarter than that. Can’t do that.”

Jeff answered Acho’s 1.5-game math head-on. “He only missed the entire half because of his actions.”

Greenlaw has been here before. He was suspended one game last season with the Denver Broncos for berating an official after a win over the New York Giants, and he was fined $11,941 for taunting the Broncos’ sideline during the 49ers’ Week 4 win over Denver.

He was also ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in 2022 and after a 2023 sideline altercation with Philadelphia Eagles head of security Dom DiSandro.

Brennan Moreau pointed to Greenlaw’s history of reckless behavior on opponents’ sidelines. “The suspension is warranted, and should honestly be 3 games minimum.”

Greenlaw Backers Say Seattle Seahawks Baited Him on Their Own Sideline

Linebacker Fred Warner said after the game that he was mad he was too far away to help Greenlaw.

“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.”

Warner added that the 49ers know they have to be smart in those situations and that he thought Greenlaw tried, for the most part.

Kimberly Brandt took Acho’s side. “Tell ‘em! As a 49ers fan, I’m tired of other teams’ players thinking they can do this and that without consequences.”

Seattle saw it differently. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Jones led his team’s response to the late hit on Darnold, calling it an emotional moment while saying his players also have to keep their composure.

Chris Tice wanted the league to go further, just not with Greenlaw. “Suspend Jones too then for impeding his path to the field. Dude approached Dre.”

Greenlaw has 37 tackles and a forced fumble in five games for the 5-0 49ers. Pro Football Network’s LB Impact grade has Greenlaw at 72.8 through Week 5, 40th of 73 graded linebackers.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday, citing a source, that Greenlaw is appealing. If the suspension stands, he will miss next Monday night’s home game against the Washington Commanders and can return to the active roster the following day.