The San Francisco 49ers made a number of moves early in free agency to bolster their roster for the 2026 season, taking advantage of their cap space.
One of the more notable moves? Bringing linebacker Dre Greenlaw back on a one-year, fully guaranteed, $6 million deal. Greenlaw had been a staple of the 49ers defense since being drafted in 2019, forming a strong duo with Fred Warner as a hard-hitting, sideline-to-sideline linebacker.
That prompted the 49ers to extend him back in 2022 on a two-year, $16.4
million deal, keeping him in the Bay Area until 2025. During a stellar 2023 season, Greenlaw suffered an unfortunate Achilles tear in the Super Bowl that year, which kept him out for most of the 2024 season, where he played in only two games.
Still, with his talent, the linebacker got a three-year, $31.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos in free agency last offseason, so he left despite a late effort from the 49ers to bring him back. But after playing in just eight games this season due to a few injuries, the Broncos released him, and Greenlaw hit the open market again.
Why not have a reunion with his old team? So, heading into his age-29 season, Greenlaw will be back in San Francisco and look to re-establish himself on a one-year deal after playing just 10 total games in the last two years.
“[A big part of bringing him back was] just how much we love Dre as a person, how much we love him as a player,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said at the Owner’s meetings this week. “He’s one of the best linebackers I’ve ever coached, and I’ve been around some good ones. What he’s meant to the Niners organization, and we hated being away from him. We’re pumped to get him back.”
The 49ers did see growth at the linebacker position last year, as Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune stepped up in place of Greenlaw, and eventually Fred Warner, to be San Francisco’s top linebackers for much of the year.
Winters played in 17 games, recording 101 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a pick-six, and five pass breakups. Bethune saw action in 14 games, recording 94 tackles, four tackles for loss, and four pass breakups in eight starts.
Both players will be back for the 49ers in 2026 and should compete for snaps alongside Greenlaw, Warner, and returner Luke Gifford. So, is Greenlaw a penciled-in starter, or will there be competition?
“[He’s] most likely [the weakside linebacker],” Shanahan said. “I mean, that’s what he’s always played. We’ll see when we get to OTAs and start to get the guys back together. It’s always different when I haven’t seen the guys since really the day after our Seattle playoff loss, but that would be the expectation.”
The 49ers have had an abundance of riches at linebacker before, and it feels like they’ll have it again in 2026, although the depth could be key with two players coming off injury-riddled 2025 seasons. But, with Winters entering the last year of his rookie contract and Tatum Bethune heading into Year 3, we’ll have to see what their roles will be as well this season.
