Dre Greenlaw Suspended One Game for Headbutting Helmetless Ernest Jones IV
Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 applies to 'any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.'
The NFL has officially handed linebacker Dre Greenlaw a one-game suspension without pay, and the explanation reads like a police report from a tailgate gone wrong.
During the second quarter of Sunday’s 32-29 win over the , Greenlaw decided to use his helmet to headbutt Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV. The kicker here is that Jones was not wearing a helmet at the time.
Headbutting a helmetless man while wearing your own helmet is not exactly a display of tactical genius. It is a blatant violation of the league's unsportsmanlike conduct rules, specifically the clause covering acts contrary to generally understood principles of sportsmanship.
Greenlaw is now slated to miss the 49ers' upcoming October 19 matchup against the . will have to adjust their defensive rotation, and betting lines might see a slight shift with a key enforcer out of the middle of the field.
is coming off a bizarre 27-27 tie with the , so they will gladly take any defensive absences the want to hand them.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, Greenlaw has the right to appeal the suspension. That appeal would go to a joint hearing officer like Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera, or James Thrash.
Good luck to whoever has to sit in that room and argue that launching a polycarbonate shell into a bare forehead was just a football move. Greenlaw will be eligible to return to the active roster on October 20, assuming the suspension holds up.