By Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman and Chicago Bears receivers Anthony Miller and Josh Bellamy were all ejected in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game after a late attempted tackle against Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky caused a fight.
With 5:39 left in the game on a third-and-5 play, Trubisky scrambled to his left and slid to give himself up after gaining 7 yards. 49ers safety Marcell Harris dove to try to stop the quarterback, but Trubisky’s momentum had carried nearly carried him past Harris, whose legs and knees appeared to strike Trubisky at the end of the play. Trubisky then sprawled awkwardly on the turf and let go of the ball.
The play took place close to the Chicago sideline. Trubisky immediately got up to confront Harris, but multiple Bears players on the sideline intervened and swarmed around the safety.
One Bears player shoved Harris, with others getting in his face, which prompted several 49ers teammates to assist him.
Then Sherman, who had been on the other side of the field, sprinted into the middle of the scrum of players and escalated the situation. Video from the Fox television feed shows that shoves and what appeared to be punches were thrown.
San Francisco players then removed Sherman from the situation, and he eventually walked away.
“I’m a grown man. You don’t grab, pull on me,” Sherman said after the game. “I don’t put my hands on you, you don’t put your hands on me. You put your hands on me, you’re gonna feel me.”
It took several minutes for the officiating crew to assess and then enforce discipline from the confrontation.
After the play, officials announced that Bears offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr. had committed a holding penalty, but that was offset by the unnecessary roughness personal foul called against Harris.
The officials then announced penalties, and ejections for each of Sherman, Miller and Bellamy.
The Bears held on for a 14-9 win.
This story originally appeared in USA Today.
