It appears the San Francisco 49ers will be tightening things up financially, as directed by owner Jed York after a down season in 2024. The Super Bowl window may be closed, and quarterback Brock Purdy is due to get a lucrative extension at some point. Trading Deebo Samuel was as much about reducing sheer cash spending as anything else.
On an episode of his podcast this past week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reinforced what he has been saying in other spots about the 49ers losing (or otherwise parting ways with) significant talent this offseason.
"First and foremost, I think the 49ers have [11] draft picks, and they're going to have to hit on some of these picks, and have these guys come in on rookie contracts for the financial relief, not to mention the talent boost that they provide," Schefter said. "... They're going to lose talent in free agency. Talanoa Hufanga is going to be gone. Dre Greenlaw, I think, is going to be gone."
Greenlaw only played in two games last season after suffering a torn Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII. But he was very good the previous two seasons, with 120-plus tackles in each as well as the third-best coverage grade and the 12th-best overall grade among off-ball linebackers from Pro Football Focus over that span.
Greenlaw's market will be an interesting one to follow. The more palatable way for the 49ers to keep him is on a one-year, "prove-it" type deal, but if other teams are willing to offer a multi-year deal he has to entertain those options.
Insider points Dre Greenlaw leaving the 49ers in free agency
As part of a lengthy free agency preview piece, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer added to the idea the 49ers will simply not be able to keep Greenlaw.
"The San Francisco 49ers would like to keep Dre Greenlaw—but there’s some doubt they’ll be able to since he played well enough in limited action coming back from a torn Achilles to drum up a real market. Among the available linebackers, he has a pretty solid skill set, and is still just 27 years old coming off his second contract. He should land right around what Derrick Barnes got (three years, $25.5 million) in Detroit."
The Lions gave Barnes the contract they did despite him suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 last season. That's where the direct parallel to Greenlaw ends though, as the two are different style of linebacker asked to do different things.
Still, Breer using Barnes as the contract comp for Greenlaw is telling. And it further proves the 49ers will not be re-signing him, unless he's will to take a lesser deal to return and take another run at free agency in 2026.
Read more from Niner Noise