Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was cleared for the return Sunday night after being punched helmet-to-helmet by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Officials threw out Greenlaw for the hit, who drew a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary rudeness. Herbert briefly left the game before being cleared to return after halftime.
“He’s fine,” Chargers head coach Brandon Staley told NBC.
The goal came late in the second quarter when Herbert got mixed up. Fred Warner attacked Herbert from behind. Greenlaw leaned in front of Herbert for a hit and made direct contact with Herbert’s head with the crown of his helmet as Herbert fell to the grass, twisting Herbert’s head to one side.
Herbert got up after the goal, obviously anxious to stay in the game. The officers then consulted one another before announcing Greenlaw’s sentence and expulsion. Herbert eventually went to the sidelines and was replaced by backup Chase Daniel for the last 30 seconds of the half.
Herbert stayed on the sidelines with his helmet off during halftime and the Chargers went into the break with a 16-10 lead. He returned to lead the Chargers’ first possession after halftime.
The 49ers eventually won 22-16 and knocked out the Chargers in the second half when Herbert finished 21 of 35 for 196 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Should Greenlaw have been ejected?
NBC acting analyst Terry McAulay reported that he spoke with the NFL’s league office and that executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent weighed the decision to sack Greenlaw.
“We heard from New York, and they determined — Troy Vincent determined — that the player put their head down and made illegal, violent, and flagrant contact with an opponent’s head,” McAulay said.
McAulay disagreed with the decision to throw Greenlaw out, arguing that he did not believe Greenlaw made contact with Herbert’s head on purpose.
The story goes on
“For a disqualification, you want to see a player do something unnecessary, an attempt to punish the opponent,” McAulay said. “I feel like he’s trying to lead with his shoulder – the changing height of the runner being tackled led to the violent content to the head.
“You can argue that it’s a foul. I just don’t think it should be blatant and disqualifying.”
NBC’s Melissa Stark reported that she spoke to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan about the decision. According to Stark, he understood the punishment but used “a fair amount of bad language” about the ejection.
“It really blew my mind,” Shanahan said after the game. via KNBR’s Jake Hutchinson. “I understand how it is with penalties because he hit his helmet… But I thought there had to be intention and something unnecessary.
“Losing Greenlaw for the whole game really shocked me.”
Quarterback safety is always a focus in the NFL, and increasingly so this season after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was hospitalized in Week 4 after suffering a second hit to the head in as many weeks against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Herbert was considered a runner in the game, losing the extra protection a quarterback provided in the pocket. McAulay reports that the NFL informed him that Herbert’s status as a quarterback was not a factor in the decision to eject Greenlaw.
“Any runner would have been treated the same way at this point,” McAulay said, paraphrasing the NFL bureau.
Greenlaw is a fourth-year starter, having joined the 49ers as a rookie in 2019. He went into Sunday’s game second on the team with 58 tackles.