Very rarely does a team lose a player in free agency to a big contract and get him back a year later, much less at a fraction of the cost.
That’s exactly what happened with Dre Greenlaw. The San Francisco 49ers tried to keep him, but got outbid by the Denver Broncos. Thus began a year without Fred Warner’s partner in crime. Greenlaw is back, signing a one-year, $7.5 million deal. A far cry from the three-year, $35 million deal Denver gave him.
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So what the heck happened? What made Denver part with Greenlaw after one year?
Well, availability was the number one reason. Greenlaw missed almost all of 2024 after suffering that ill-timed Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII (or as I call it, 2023’s Great Disappointment). He was activated in December against the Los Angeles Rams and then shut down just two weeks later. The 49ers were not in contention for anything, and Greenlaw understood the decision.
When 2025 free agency rolled around, the 49ers were a bit more inactive than usual. One player they were trying to keep was Greenlaw. Even with a deal done with the Denver Broncos, the 49ers tried to get him to stay.
In his contract, Greenlaw received $11.5 million guaranteed at signing, all of it paid in year 1. That means it was a three-year deal, but the Broncos could get out of it if they needed to. Which, as we know now, they would.
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Greenlaw entered 2025 much like he began 2024: On the injured list. He was placed on injured reserve due to a quad injury sustained during July practice. It wouldn’t be until Week 7 that he would finally see the field: a ridiculous 33-32 victory over the New York Giants. The game was 26-8 for the Giants until just above the five-minute mark, when the Broncos scored 33 points in the fourth quarter.
At the end of the game, this happened:
As the post says, Greenlaw was suspended for one game after the interaction with the official. He returned in Week 9 without incident, but missed the final two games of the regular season with a hamstring injury. So that’s eight games he played in.
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In the playoffs, Greenlaw had ten tackles in two games.
That’s not exactly productive for a $35 million contract. With $21 million to go and a slight dead money hit, the Broncos decided to move on.
Should Dre Greenlaw’s availability again be in question, the contract itself won’t be backbreaking for the 49ers. They also have Dee Winters, who stepped up in Greenlaw’s absence and will most likely compete with him in 2026 for the same role. Winters is under contract through 2026 as well.
Dre Greenlaw is back with the 49ers for $7.5 million on a one-year deal. If he stays healthy, the 49ers get Fred Warner’s running mate again for a fraction of what Denver paid. If not, the risk is minimal.
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