Why was Dre Greenlaw ejected? 49ers star messes with 'Big Dom,' gets boot for poking Eagles security chief

Jacob Camenker

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Why was Dre Greenlaw ejected? 49ers star messes with 'Big Dom,' gets boot for poking Eagles security chief image

The 49ers vs. Eagles game got chippy late in the Week 13 rematch of the 2023 NFC championship game, and it resulted in a couple of ejections.

For the 49ers, starting linebacker Dre Greenlaw was tossed from the game. His ejection came after he threw DeVonta Smith to the ground and got into a scuffle with several people on the Eagles sideline. 

Meanwhile, the Eagles lost their security chief Dom DiSandro. The man commonly known as "Big Dom" was tossed after being among those who got into it with Greenlaw after he tackled Smith.

MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 13 of 2023 NFL season

Here's what to know about the ejections and how they might impact the rest of the 49ers vs. Eagles game.

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Why was Dre Greenlaw ejected?

Greenlaw was ejected after a sequence that saw him suplex Smith and get into it on the sideline with DiSandro.

Greenlaw's throwdown of Smith came well after the whistle had blown with the receiver out of bounds. The tackle drew the ire of the Eagles, who swarmed to bring sideline support to Smith.

That's where DiSandro came in. He was jawing with Greenlaw as Smith went face-to-face with him, and eventually, that drew the attention of the 49ers linebacker. That's when he decided to take a swipe at DiSandro.

After that and his takedown of Smith, the officials elected to send Greenlaw to the showers early. He expressed displeasure at that decision but he ultimately went to the 49ers sideline and back to the locker room.

Before his ejection, Greenlaw had a team-high seven tackles. His absence will likely open up more playing time for Oren Burks, who serves as the team's linebacker in their base 4-3 defense.

MORE: Why Roger Goodell and the NFL might ban the Eagles' 'Tush Push'

Who is 'Big Dom'?

"Big Dom" is the nickname of DiSandro, who is the Eagles' head of security. He is a beloved figure in the Philadelphia locker room and has reached a cult following status among fans.

Recently, DiSandro was tapped to pick up visiting linebacker Shaquille Leonard from the airport. That  post received numerous comments about the presence of "Big Dom," who has been described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a "mystery man" who has "a heart of gold."

DiSandro was evidently showing his tougher side on the sideline Sunday. His interaction with Greenlaw was enough to get him booted from the sideline, however.

Still, the Eagles fans didn't mind that exchange. In fact, they may have been happy that Big Dom was able to knock one of San Francisco's key playmakers out of the game without costing the Eagles anything but some additional security on the sideline.

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Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.