The Broncos are investing heavily in recent 49ers defensive standouts. Dre Greenlaw will be joining Talanoa Hufanga in Denver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.
This agreement ends a six-season Greenlaw stay in San Francisco. Like Hufanga, Greenlaw saw the back end of his Bay Area stay marred by injuries. The Broncos will take a chance on another standout starter (when healthy) and one whose setback played a central role in a Super Bowl outcome.
Greenlaw will join the Broncos on a three-year, $35MM accord, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Despite a seminal Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII and barely playing last season, Greenlaw will score a much better deal than he did when he signed a 49ers extension (two years, $16.4MM). In need at linebacker, the Broncos will bet on the form Greenlaw showed alongside Fred Warner.
A strong coverage player before suffering the Achilles injury — one sustained while trotting onto the field during the first half against the Chiefs — Greenlaw combined to make 147 tackles from 2022-23. He and Warner became a top-tier linebacking duo, but injuries have been an issue for Greenlaw beyond that Super Bowl. The former fifth-round find missed 14 games in 2021 due to a groin injury. Last season, Greenlaw did not debut until December; he logged just 30 snaps upon being activated.
While an argument exists Greenlaw’s injury cost the 49ers a championship, a player Pro Football Focus tabbed a top-25 linebacker (ninth in 2022) will attempt to help a Broncos team that lost Cody Barton (to the Titans) earlier today. Denver lost Alex Singleton to an ACL tear in Week 3 of last season, using Barton and special-teamer Justin Strnad as its primary LBs. Strnad is also a free agent, while Singleton is going into an age-31 season coming off a major injury. The Broncos probably are not done at ILB, but Greenlaw profiles as their new centerpiece there.
D*mn, was hoping he’d be back. Congrats Denver, you got a dawg
could be a sneaky good move for Denver if healthy
Great add for an already dangerous defense
So much for letting the team that believed in you match! As you said you would you lying pos
Cry
Wow, these are great signings by Denver!
Terrible first day of free agency for the 49ers.
Not really tbh. This is the only one that hurts, but he barely played last year. The only starter they really lost was banks, and he’s borderline awful. On paper looks good, but he wasn’t even good next to Trent Williams