Niners outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks said today he was benched for the second half of Sunday’s 16-10 win against the Giants after he yelled at defensive line coach Jim Tomsula over his playing time earlier in the game.

“It was an emotional reaction during a game,” Brooks said. “I reacted out of my character. I did not quit on the team. I did not take myself out of the game, but words that were said by me obviously couldn’t be taken back. So they decided to not put me back in the game.”

Brooks, 30, said he’s apologized to Tomsula and his apology was accepted. Brooks also said “I sent my apologies to the team.”

“I can’t be a distraction, especially by me being a veteran,” Brooks said. “I can’t bring that attitude to the team. I’ve got to just look at myself in the mirror and say ‘What can I do to take make Ahmad Brooks better?’ Then the team will be better as well.”

It had been reported that Brooks had taken himself out of the game because he wasn’t happy about the outside linebacker rotation. After Aldon Smith entered early in the second quarter, Brooks began ceding most of his snaps to rookie Aaron Lynch, who has three sacks in his past four games.

“We’ve addressed it,” Jim Harbaugh said. “It’s not insubordination, so let’s just clear that one up. He got emotional on the sideline. Emotions played into it when it shouldn’t. I believe in Ahmad Brooks, believe he’s going to make a vital contribution to our team, as he always has. The cold hard facts are that … he’s started the last 58 games. Nobody has answered the bell more than Ahmad Brooks has for this football team.”

However, with Smith back and Lynch playing well, it’s possible Brooks’ starting streak could be snapped Sunday when Washington visits Levi’s Stadium. How will he respond if a similar situation over playing time unfolds in the future?

“I’m going to hope and pray that it doesn’t happen again,” Brooks said. “I don’t want to feel like I’m second to anybody … If it ever were to happen again, I’m just going to keep my mouth shut and not say anything.”

Here’s the Brooks transcript with questions paraphrased:

What happened? Jim Harbaugh said you had an emotional reaction …

AB: It was an emotional reaction during a game. I reacted out of my character. I did not quit on the team. I did not take myself out of the game, but words that were said by me obviously couldn’t be taken back. So they decided to not put me back in the game. We’re moving forward as a team, you know what I’m saying? What happened happens every day in companies if you go to work. You’re not always going to be on the same page with your co-workers. This is one of those instances. It happened on that day during that game. It happened to me so I sent my apologies to the team and we’re just moving forward.

We’ve still got six games left. We’ve still got the team to make it to the Super Bowl. We still are capable of making it to the playoffs, so that’s where our focus is as a team right now. We don’t want to focus on the distractions. We’ve have several distractions this year. You know what I mean? I can’t be a distraction, especially by me being a veteran. I can’t bring that attitude to the team. I’ve got to just look at myself in the mirror and say ‘What can I do to take make Ahmad Brooks better?’ Then the team will be better as well.

Were you told to sit on the bench and have your tape cut off?

AB: No, it was the fourth quarter and I took my spat off. At halftime, because I had a white spat on in the first half, they told me to change the color. So that’s what I did, thinking I was going to go back out there and play, but I never went back out there so I just ended up cutting them off in the fourth quarter.

When did you feel like an apology was necessary?

AB: On the ride back home on the plan, I felt bad. I felt bad and I didn’t like that feeling, so I decided to apologize to Jimmy Tomsula because that’s who I said those words to. I apologized to him, he accepted my apology and we’re just moving forward.

What did you say to Tomsula?

AB: I’m going to keep that behind the scenes.

Words from Harbaugh that this is behind you?

AB: It means a lot coming from him … He’s been a player at one point in time. He’s a National Football League head coach. He’s been in this business for a while. He understands the players’ attitudes and how things can kind of get escalated and heated on the sideline, or even in practice, every-day basis. Just hearing that come from him means a lot.

Did they fine you?

AB: I mean what’s happened has happened. I don’t even want to answer too many questions. That’s it. I’m just going to move forward. If I got fined I got fined.

Expecting to start?

AB: Am I expecting to start? I’m expecting to play. We never discuss our schemes. We never discuss rotation with the 49ers. Whether or not I’m starting or not, really doesn’t matter. As long as I’m out there playing, that’s all that really matters.

What do you feel about a rotation at OLB?

AB: Who I am as a person, as a football player, I expect to play. That’s just who I am. I expect to play, I expect to be out there. That’s it. That’s that.

Have you played your best this year?

AB: I haven’t. Not this year. I haven’t been very productive as I’ve been. But sometimes you have ups and downs. That’s that, you know what I mean? Like I said earlier, I just got to look myself in the mirror, re-evaluate myself as a person, as a man and just get better. That’s all I can ask for, that’s all we can ask for as human beings. I took a step back, but I’m going to keep going forward.

Seems like the way guys are playing, this situation as far as playing time could happen again?

AB: I’m going to hope and pray that it doesn’t happen again. I don’t want to feel like I’m second to anybody … If it ever were to happen again, I’m just going to keep my mouth shut and not say anything.

Reports about you being traded?

AB: I’ve seen it on Twitter. And this is one of the reasons why I don’t get on the computer and look for these things because there’s always a story on something. I’m not going to pout about it. I’m not going to cry about it. But it is my job, it is my career. If I don’t speak about it, then nobody’s going to speak for me. I know what I’m capable of doing. We all know what I’m capable of doing. We all know what this team is capable of doing. With that being said, just going to move forward.

It’s a business and even though I signed a six-year deal, it’s really a one-year deal for us all. Somebody could get injured, somebody could have a bad year, somebody could just step up and play great. Could be a rookie, could be a third-year guy. Somebody just picked up off the street. Trade rumors is trade rumors. Hear them every day and hopefully I don’t get traded. Hopefully I don’t leave. I don’t plan on that. Like I said, I just got to make Ahmad Brooks better.

Do you expect to be with the 49ers next year?

AB: Yeah. It’s a business. I expect to be playing in the National Football League, yeah. I expect to have a job. I expect to be out there being Ahmad Brooks.

Twitter: @Eric_Branch