49ers Dre Greenlaw Ejection vs Chargers: Accurate or Absurd?

In the second quarter of the game, the Los Angeles Chargers were fighting to get into field goal range. The chargers quarterback, Justin Herbert, ran with the ball and was hit in the back by 49ers safety, Jimmie Ward. The ward hit was what lead to the Dre Greenlaw Ejection. As Ward hit Herbert, Greenlaw was diving in for the tackle and hit Herbert helmet to helmet. While I can agree with the penalty flag being thrown, was the Dre Greenlaw ejection justified?

With Herbert running the ball and not sliding, the ejection was questionable. Throwing the penalty flag is definitely arguable, and I am not speaking against the penalty itself, just the Dre Greenlaw ejection. To watch the hit, here is a video posted by ESPN.

Dre Greenlaw Ejection: Impact on the Game

Herbert did have to exit the game because of the play due to the hit being head to head contact. He did go into the blue medical tent but had his helmet in his hands after exiting quickly. While Herbert did not go back into the game in the first half, he played the entire second half.

As for the 49ers, the Dre Greenlaw Ejection may have actually lit a fire in the defense. In the second half of the game, the defense did not allow the Chargers to score any points. The game ended 22-19 and was sealed by an interception from safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Fortunately for the Chargers, Herbert was okay, and for the 49ers they were still able to get the win while missing a key player to the team.

Dre Greenlaw Ejection: Was it Justified?

According to the NFL, two Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties are what will result in a player getting ejected from a game. Other reasons would include attempting to hit another player, or actively trying to hurt them. As I have said, I can agree with the penalty. Herbert may have been hit in the back, which made him change directions as Greenlaw was going in for the hit, but I can see how the referees would call the penalty.

I do not agree with the penalty resulting in a Dre Greenlaw ejection. It was his first hit like that, and Herbert was a runner. It was also a situation where multiple guys were going in for the tackle. The team of referees should have given him his first warning instead. Greenlaw did not go into the tackle with any intention of hurting the quarterback, simply trying to stop him from running for the first down. I do not believe the linebacker was headhunting and there should have been no Dre Greenlaw ejection.

Hopefully, for the 49ers, the Dre Greenlaw ejection lights a new spark in this defense. The team will face the Arizona Cardinals next weekend, for Monday Night Football. This game will be played in Mexico and hopefully, Greenlaw can make up for the game he missed out on.

For more NFL and NCAA Football content:

Check out my article on why Joey Porter Jr did not play for the Penn State Nittany Lions in their game against Maryland. Also, be sure to check out last week’s Underestimated Player Spotlight. I also wrote about why the NFL needs to ban turf immediately.