A scuffle late in the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers matchup resulted in an early exit for one player on each team.
Two Players Ejected in Seattle-San Francisco Brawl
Seattle receiver DK Metcalf and San Francisco defensive back Deommodore Lenoir were both ejected from the contest after quarterback Drew Lock threw an interception on a fourth down.
Linebacker Fred Warner intercepted the pass that was intended for Metcalf, lateraling the ball to linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who returned it to the San Francisco 29-yard line. The interception essentially ended the game as the 49ers led 28-16 with less than three minutes remaining.
MORE: NFL Playoff Picture Week 14
After the lateral, Warner pushed Metcalf down to the turf. Metcalf fought back and started after Warner, grabbing the linebacker’s facemask to initiate the scuffle.
Lenoir was one of the players who came in to defend Warner, shoving Metcalf, which was enough to get him ejected.
#Seahawks WR DK Metcalf loses his cool on the field again.
This time, Metcalf suplexes #49ers LB Fred Warner. Warner responds and chaos ensues 😳
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 11, 2023
Fans took to social media to react to the wild altercation, with some defending Metcalf.
“DK Metcalf got ejected for WHAT?!?!” Robert Griffin III posted, along with a video of the tackle and ensuing chaos.
Others joked about Metcalf’s aggressiveness or called out his behavior.
“DK Metcalf is a punk. One hell of an athlete but he’s constantly doing stupid stuff to hurt his team and even himself,” one user said.
DK Metcalf is a punk. One hell of an athlete but he’s constantly doing stupid stuff to hurt his team and even himself
— Christopher Mathis 🎙 (@thechrismathis) December 11, 2023
In terms of Lenoir, some fans thought his ejection was not warranted.
“Lenoir is just standing up for his captain,” one user said.
“The analysis of the whole scuffle was so inaccurate it’s baffling. The decision to disqualify DK and Lenoir is garbage in my opinion. Fred Warner is walking around like an innocent bystander. Either way… Hawks got more problems than refs being incompetent,” another said.
The analysis of the whole scuffle was so inaccurate it’s baffling.
The decision to disqualify DK and Lenoir is garbage in my opinion.
Fred Warner is walking around like an innocent bystander.
Either way… Hawks got more problems than refs being incompetent.#Seahawks
— Michael Bumpus (@michaelbumpus5) December 11, 2023
Sunday was the second time Metcalf has been ejected in his career, with the other coming in Green Bay in 2021. He has also been issued thousands of dollars in fines for his play and after-the-whistle physicality.
Metcalf showed signs of frustration throughout the game. He started the game hot, scoring a touchdown in the first quarter on a 31-yard throw from Lock. On the Fox broadcast of the game, they caught Metcalf having a mini-tantrum on the sidelines after a Lock interception.
Metcalf had a pair of catches for 52 yards with a touchdown on five targets before he was ejected while Lenoir had three total tackles.
San Francisco’s defense smothered Seattle, who was without starting quarterback Geno Smith. Drew Lock stepped in for him and completed 71% of his passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was also sacked four times.
Brock Purdy completed 70.4% of his passes for 368 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the win.
With the 28-16 win, the 49ers moved to 10-3, while Seattle dropped to 6-7 in a crowded race for the wild card in the NFC.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!