The San Francisco 49ers faced significant challenges by the conclusion of their 28-18 defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.

They lost both Brandon Aiyuk to a knee injury and Deebo Samuel due to an illness, and they also had to contend with the ejection of left tackle Trent Williams late in the game.

Williams was thrown out of the game with just 3:03 remaining. The seasoned offensive lineman was on the ground when Chiefs safety Bryan Cook approached him and made contact with Williams’ facemask.

In reaction to this, Williams stood up and hit Cook hard, throwing a punch at the back of Cook’s helmet, which resulted in a penalty and his removal from the game.

The NFL classifies punching as a “prohibited act,” categorizing it as unsportsmanlike conduct according to their rules. Officials have the authority to eject players for “flagrant” actions if they witness them directly or review them via video replay, which is why Williams was dismissed.

Interestingly, Cook did not receive any penalty for his actions. It remains unclear whether the officials overlooked Cook’s swipe at Williams or deemed it not severe enough to warrant a penalty.

Regardless, Cook continued to play after the incident and was not injured by the punch from Williams.

There had already been rising tensions during the game, with a confrontation between Kansas City receiver Skyy Moore and San Francisco cornerback Deommodore Lenoir following a touchdown by Mecole Hardman in the fourth quarter. After Williams’ ejection, the situation calmed down, and no further altercations occurred in the last three minutes of this Super Bowl 58 rematch.