Ian Williams Says Ernest Jones Deserved Ejection Against 49ers

A heated confrontation between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks during their Week 5 matchup on October 11, 2026, prompted former 49ers defensive lineman Ian Williams to question the officials' decision to eject Dre Greenlaw without also removing Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV.

According to Heavy, the incident unfolded in the second quarter after Greenlaw delivered a late hit on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and subsequently head-butted Jones. Officials ejected Greenlaw following the exchange, while Williams argued that Jones' conduct before the head-butt also warranted disciplinary action.

Williams expressed his position during the game in a post on X, directly challenging the decision to remove only the San Francisco linebacker.

"Ernest Jones should’ve been ejected as well!" Williams wrote on X.

The former 49ers defensive lineman focused his criticism on Jones' approach to Greenlaw immediately before the physical confrontation. Williams alleged that Jones had moved into Greenlaw's face while taunting him and without wearing a helmet.

"He stepped into Dre Greenlaw face taunting! Don’t step into someone’s face without a helmet!" Williams added.

Williams also defended Greenlaw's reaction, emphasizing the intensity of the moment following the tackle. His comments indicated that he understood why the San Francisco linebacker reacted angrily to the interaction with Seattle players.

"Dre Greenlaw really about that life," Williams wrote.

In another comment, Williams described Greenlaw's adrenaline and the presence of multiple Seahawks players around him after the tackle. He maintained that one Seattle player had approached Greenlaw without a helmet and made a provocative remark.

"Adrenaline on 1000. Just sprinted to make a tackle and got up around a sea of Seattle players talking [sh–], and one got in his face without his helmet and said something crazy. I’m not mad at Dre." Williams wrote.

FOX Sports analyst Tom Brady also discussed the sequence during the broadcast, distinguishing the initial contact with Darnold from the subsequent confrontation between the linebackers. Brady suggested that he did not consider Greenlaw's hit on the quarterback illegal.

"It’s funny, because usually Dre Greenlaw isn’t in the middle of things," Brady said.

Brady then addressed the rivalry between San Francisco and Seattle, describing Greenlaw's willingness to engage with opposing players despite the hostile atmosphere surrounding the matchup. His assessment focused on the players' reactions and the legality of the initial hit.

"No love lost over there. And I never thought, as a Niner, you’d want to be in a body of Seahawks. But he and his compadres have no problem.

They have no fear. And I don’t think that’s an illegal hit at all." Brady said.

The confrontation followed an earlier disciplinary action against Greenlaw. The NFL announced its fines for Week 4 on October 10, 2026, including an $11,941 penalty against the linebacker for taunting at the 3:11 mark of the first quarter.

Before the matchup, 49ers tight end George Kittle had also discussed the offensive challenges San Francisco faced against Seattle in their previous meeting. Speaking on October 8, he acknowledged the team's struggles and outlined the importance of sustaining drives.

"Our offense was not efficient last time we played them," Kittle said.

Kittle explained that the 49ers wanted to score consistently and limit the time their defense spent on the field. He also addressed the rivalry as the team prepared to play in Seattle.

"I think our defense did a great job when we were at home, and playoffs was whatever that was. So our goal is to go out there, score points, and keep our defense off the field. I don’t know if it’s any extra inspiration, but all I know is that it’s Seattle week." Kittle said.

The tight end also described Seattle's stadium as a challenging venue because of the crowd's hostility toward San Francisco. He said the atmosphere would provide additional motivation for the team's first road game with a fully engaged opposing crowd.

"We’re going to Seattle, one of my favorite stadiums to play in because of how much they don’t like us. It’s a fantastic fan base. It’s going to be super loud.

It’s our first real road game with an active crowd, or a crowd that’s fully against us. I couldn’t be looking more forward to it. We need to go make a statement and stay on the field as an offense."