DK Metcalf-Fred Warner beef history, explained: Why Seahawks WR was ejected after fight with 49ers LB in 2023

David Suggs

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DK Metcalf-Fred Warner beef history, explained: Why Seahawks WR was ejected after fight with 49ers LB in 2023 image

There's no love lost when the Seahawks and 49ers face off with one another.

Such a relationship is customary between divisional rivals. San Francisco has been the better side of late, dominating much of the 2010s and early 2020s under the tutelage of coaching gurus Jim Harbaugh and Kyle Shanahan.

Seattle hasn't quite reached those heights in recent times, struggling to find steady success in the post-Legion of Boom era. That doesn't make its duels with the Niners any less compelling, even if Mike Macdonald's side hasn't been able to vanquish its West Coast counterparts in any of their past five matchups with one another.

The Seahawks and 49ers are as combative as they come. Those characteristics also drip down to their players — namely, high-profile stars DK Metcalf and Fred Warner.

So, what happens when an unstoppable force like Metcalf meets an immovable object like Warner?

The Sporting News has the answer, detailing the fireworks that surfaced during Seattle and San Francisco's last face-off with one another.

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DK Metcalf-Fred Warner beef, explained

Metcalf and Warner locked horns in the fourth quarter of the Seahawks and 49ers' Week 14 clash last season, a collision that resulted in a Metcalf ejection ... and a whole lot of bad blood.

The incident played out as follows: Metcalf wrapped up Warner in a tackle after the All-Pro linebacker snagged a Drew Lock misfire out of the sky.

As Metcalf made contact with Warner, the San Francisco standout flipped the ball to fellow linebacker Dre Greenlaw. He appeared to expect Metcalf to relent on his effort to bring him to the ground. Metcalf did no such thing, opting instead to perform a suplex on Warner and send him crashing into the turf.

Warner responded with fury, delivering a crunching two-handed shove toward the top of Metcalf's back.

Metcalf delivered the final blow, grabbing two fistfuls of a backpedaling Warner's facemask. He eventually released his grip on Warner's helmet, but the damage was done. Metcalf was summarily ejected for his antics. So, too, was 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who attempted to push Metcalf following his dust-up with Warner.

San Francisco went on to win the contest, 28-16.

Both Metcalf and Warner had their say on the quarrel while speaking with reporters postgame. Metcalf explained that his actions came from a place of frustration. He added that he only retaliated after Warner hit him.

"If you want to call it frustration, yeah, it was frustration," Metcalf said after the game, per the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta. "But from my side, he hit me in the back of the head, so I just retaliated."

MORE: How much money has DK Metcalf lost due to fines in NFL career?

Warner expressed confusion over the scuffle, asserting that Metcalf needed to "learn to keep his composure."

"I don't know what happened," Warner said. "I told him he tackles really well, and then for some reason he didn't like that, and I guess what happened, happened. It's unfortunate, man. He's gotta learn to keep his composure."

Metcalf was handed a $19,123 fine for his part in the mayhem. He was forced to cough up $75,686 in 2023 due to league-sanctioned fines.

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.