After being ejected in Week 10 for a controversial helmet-to-helmet hit on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw has been given an expensive punishment.
The NFL fined Greenlaw $10,609 for unnecessary roughness, reports NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan. The play took place last Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
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Greenlaw on Friday told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco that if he were to be fined by the NFL, he would appeal it.
The hit in question took place just before halftime of the 49ers' 22-16 win over the Chargers as Herbert scrambled downfield with the ball.
As Fred Warner and Jimmie Ward attempted to tackle Herbert near San Francisco's 35-yard line with 38 seconds left in the first half, the quarterback went to his knees and fell forward.
Greenlaw, lowering his shoulder as he also looked to stop the play, made helmet-to-helmet contact with Herbert as he went down. The linebacker subsequently was ejected and San Francisco was assessed with a 15-yard penalty.
San Francisco 49ers
Herbert went to the Chargers' medical tent on the sideline to be checked for a concussion before returning for the game's second half.
RELATED: NFL official says Greenlaw's hit before ejection was 'flagrant'
Shortly after leaving the field, Greenlaw posted "Free me" on his Instagram story in apparent disagreement with the officials' decision to eject him.
"I’m just trying to go in with my shoulder to try and get a hit and just somehow, it happened so fast, it just came closer than what I expected,” Greenlaw told reporters Friday. “It was just like a bang-bang play. I definitely did not mean to get ejected or hurt anybody.
"But that’s part of football.”