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Dre Greenlaw

49ers Want To Re-Sign S Talanoa Hufanga, LB Dre Greenlaw

December 20th, 2024 at 12:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

As injuries have harpooned a 49ers NFC title defense for the second time in five years, the team’s offseason becomes more relevant. The 49ers extended Deommodore Lenoir earlier this season but still has several starters moving toward free agency.

The Lenoir extension probably sends Charvarius Ward back to the market, but the 49ers are not closing the door on re-signing two other impending free agent defenders. The team is interested in retaining both Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw. Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much.

[RELATED: Assessing Brock Purdy’s Extension Candidacy]

“Those are two of the better players I’ve been around and two of the better players on our team and two of the main reasons we’ve had the success we’ve had,” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (subscription required) “So hopefully we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they’re as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I can think of.”

For what it’s worth, Shanahan offered a similar sentiment regarding Ward this summer. With Lenoir signed and Renardo Green on track for a bigger 2025 role, Ward is almost certainly heading elsewhere come March. The 49ers also have guard Aaron Banks set to hit the market. Barrows does not place a high likelihood on Banks being back, either, as the 49ers have not been big on guard payments under Shanahan; this year’s guard market also showed how high prices can rise for proven starters. As for Hufanga, Barrows views a return as being squarely on the radar.

The markets of both Hufanga and Greenlaw figure to be impacted by the injuries each has battled. Hufanga sustained an ACL tear in November 2023 and then missed much of this season due to a wrist issue, one that still has him in a cast. Greenlaw suffered one of the more untimely injuries in NFL history, at least as it pertained to his team’s championship chances, tearing an Achilles while trotting onto the field in Super Bowl LVIII. Both players are off IR now, however, and can boost their markets by playing well for a 6-8 team over the final three games.

A 2021 fifth-round pick, Hufanga impressed during a 2022 position battle to replace Jaquiski Tartt and earned first-team All-Pro acclaim months later. The 49ers showed how much they value Hufanga this season, redeploying him despite the cast. That said, Ji’Ayir Brown and fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha have been the team’s primary safeties this season. Both are tied to rookie deals, each’s running beyond 2025. The 49ers want to keep Hufanga, but Barrows does not make it sound like they would compete with a booming market. Then again, beyond Xavier McKinney and Jessie Bates, safeties have not generated booming markets in recent offseasons. That would boost San Francisco’s retention chances.

San Francisco has run into a much more difficult time replacing Greenlaw. Its 2024 plan infamously combusted last week, with De’Vondre Campbell refusing to enter the Rams game and walking off the field. The 49ers have suspended the linebacker, whom John Lynch confronted during the strange sequence. The since-banned ‘backer had started to refuse to play during the second quarter, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer notes, adding that Lynch then sent him to the locker room. Shanahan also said (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) the team had one other linebacker — after Eric Kendricks, who backtracked on a 49ers pledge to join the Cowboys — ahead of Campbell in their free agency pecking order.

Campbell, however, became the pick and proved a downgrade on Greenlaw. The latter has been Fred Warner‘s primary sidekick since his 2019 rookie season. While Greenlaw accepted a two-year, $16MM extension in 2022, he is likely to finish this season unsigned. We mentioned recently a deal in the ballpark of ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair (three years, $34MM) could be in play should Greenlaw stay healthy to close out the year; Barrows also mentioned that as a comp. Greenlaw and Al-Shaair are each 27, though the 49ers consistently played Greenlaw in front of the now-Texans linebacker.

The 49ers’ plans to pay Brock Purdy the quarterback going rate will complicate their free agency strategy as well. That will make the Greenlaw and Hufanga markets more interesting. A potential either/or situation may form with this duo, but it does appear clear the 49ers are not planning to let either walk without negotiations commencing first.

49ers To Activate LB Dre Greenlaw

December 12th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the 49ers will not be confused with a healthy team going into their pivotal Rams rematch, they did see Talanoa Hufanga return last week. The team now will see the other key defender who has missed most of this season back at work.

Injured while trotting onto the field in Super Bowl LVIII, Dre Greenlaw is coming back. The 49ers will activate the standout linebacker from the PUP list tonight, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. It will conclude a 10-month recovery from Achilles surgery, as Greenlaw went down on February 12. Greenlaw’s activation is now official.

The team had aimed for a midseason return, but Greenlaw saw his timeline pushed back a bit. A return will now come for a team that has lost Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Hargrave for the season and one that has played without Nick Bosa and Trent Williams in recent weeks. While Fred Warner has been playing through a fractured ankle, he and Greenlaw will team up again in time for a crucial game.

At 6-7, the 49ers probably cannot afford another loss if they are to make a last-ditch push at defending the NFC West title they have won for the past two seasons. It may already be too late, with the Rams and Seahawks at 8-5, but the team routed the Bears in Week 14 to halt a losing streak. A healthier defense will take a shot at toppling a Rams team coming off a shootout win against the Bills.

Greenlaw, 27, will transition into a key stretch as well. He joins Hufanga and Charvarius Ward as 49ers defensive starters unsigned beyond this season. The team has Warner locked down, while Deommodore Lenoir signed an extension recently. With a Brock Purdy payday planned, the 49ers will need to make some sacrifices. Greenlaw could be among them. In that case, the next four games would double as an audition for the recovering player. A free agency deal, potentially in the realm of the one ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair inked in March, may be in the cards if Greenlaw can stay healthy.

Coming off back-to-back 120-tackle seasons, Greenlaw is playing out a two-year, $16.4MM contract agreed to during the 2022 season. Despite being a fifth-round pick, Greenlaw has worked as a 49ers regular at linebacker for most of his career. The team has used free agency addition De’Vondre Campbell on 719 snaps this season. Campbell was added to play alongside Warner while Greenlaw recovered. It did not seem at the time that the plan was for that setup to last 13 games, but it did. And given how long Greenlaw has been out, it would surprise if he was thrust into a full workload immediately.

This transaction will not count against the 49ers’ remaining injury activations, as only players moved from IR or the NFI lists back to the active roster do so. Nevertheless, the 49ers will throw a more complete version of their defense at a Rams team that has steadily gotten healthier since the teams’ September meeting.

49ers OL Jon Feliciano To Land On Season-Ending IR; Dre Greenlaw To Practice

November 25th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers expected Jon Feliciano back around the midseason point and had designated the veteran offensive lineman for return from IR earlier this month. No activation will take place, however.

Feliciano’s knee has not responded well upon a return to practice, Kyle Shanahan said, and ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner notes the O-lineman will miss the rest of the season. Feliciano will revert to season-ending IR, as the 49ers will not activate him after an IR-return window. Monday marked the 21-day mark since the window opened, forcing the 49ers to make a determination on Feliciano’s status.

[RELATED: Brock Purdy In Play To Suit Up In Week 13]

A starter in seven regular-season games and all three 49ers playoff contests, Feliciano suffered the knee injury during training camp. The 49ers waited to place him on IR until after setting their 53-man roster, so they will not lose one of their injury activations by shutting him down. The injury-plagued team — one that suited up without Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and Brock Purdy in Week 12 — still has four IR-return moves remaining. The Purdy-Bosa-Williams trio remains on the active roster, though Talanoa Hufanga is an IR-return candidate — if the All-Pro safety is healthy enough to come back.

Some good injury news for the 49ers did emerge Monday, however. As expected, the team is set to open Dre Greenlaw‘s 21-day return window, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows tweets. Greenlaw is set to practice for the first time since tearing an Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII. Greenlaw’s return also will not count against the 49ers’ activation total, as he is set to enter the PUP-return window.

Feliciano also went down during Super Bowl LVIII, and while his injury may well have contributed to Chris Jones‘ seminal third-down pressure to stop the 49ers’ opening overtime drive, it did not lead to this season’s absence. The 49ers have also found an answer at right guard. They turned to third-round rookie Dominick Puni due in part to Feliciano’s injury, and the Kansas alum has started opposite Aaron Banks throughout the season.

Now 32 and in his 10th year as an NFL blocker, Feliciano had hinted — upon re-signing with the 49ers (on a one-year, $2.75MM deal) in March — this would be his final NFL season. It is not yet known if the former Raiders, Bills and Giants interior lineman will change his mind based on the knee injury, but he will not factor into the 49ers’ plans this season. Feliciano, who has made 61 career starts and spent full seasons at both guard and center, was likely to represent solid swing depth had he returned this season.

Greenlaw obviously will be set for a much bigger role. The longtime Fred Warner sidekick has been a three-down linebacker with San Francisco for years, having signed a two-year, $16.4MM extension during the 2022 season. That pact goes through this season’s end, and Greenlaw will soon aim to secure a strong third contract. The 49ers are likely to slow-play the full-time defender’s ramp-up, but as the 5-6 team now faces the Bills after dropping a one-sided matchup to the Packers sans Purdy and Co., the risk of the defending NFC champions falling out of the playoff race is suddenly real.

Greenlaw, 27, coming back can benefit the 49ers’ defense, and it will be interesting to see when the team decides to activate him. His Super Bowl injury dealt the 49ers a cruel blow, as the player who was to be a key part of the team’s Travis Kelce defense effort stumbled to the turf upon trotting onto the field for a first-half defensive possession. Kelce proceeded to catch nine passes for 93 yards to help the Chiefs to an overtime conquest.

The 49ers already decided to extend one of their many contract-year starters, giving Deommodore Lenoir a five-year, $89.8MM deal, doing so months after paying Brandon Aiyuk. Greenlaw joins Banks, Hufanga and Charvarius Ward among core players not contracted for 2025. Although Greenlaw’s sixth NFL season will be abbreviated, a run at full strength over the final month and change — depending on when the 49ers activate him — would strengthen his 2025 market. The 49ers hold exclusive negotiating rights with Greenlaw until the legal tampering period begins March 10.

49ers’ Dre Greenlaw Nearing Return To Practice

November 21st, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Dre Greenlaw has been out of the 49ers’ lineup throughout the 2024 season so far, but a return to action midway through the campaign has been the target for team and player. The sixth-year linebacker continues to make progress while rehabbing his Super Bowl Achilles tear.

As a result, Greenlaw is now able to take part in individual drills. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the 27-year-old remains on the PUP list at this point, but he could begin participating in team practices as early as next week. Having his activation window opened would give San Francisco 21 days to move Greenlaw back onto the active roster, something which would likely not happen right away.

“I think once he gets in practice, you open that window up, he probably takes a little bit of that window,” general manager John Lynch said during an appearance on KNBR (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “Coming off an Achilles, it’s not a simple thing. It’s not easy. You just really have to go through all the steps.”

Indeed, it would come as no surprise if Greenlaw were to have a lengthy ramp-up period once he returns to practice. He has been a key figure on defense for most of his career, topping 100 tackles in 2022 and ’23. The former fifth-rounder is a pending free agent, so his play upon reuniting with Fred Warner at the LB spot will be critical in determining his market value.

It will also, of course, be a key factor in the 49ers’ ability to qualify for the postseason. With a 5-5 record, the team sits last in the NFC West (albeit only one game behind the Cardinals for the top spot). San Francisco ranks in the top 10 in several defensive categories on the year, but an average of 22.2 points allowed per game sits only 16th in the NFL. Getting Greenlaw back in the fold for the stretch run could help the 49ers improve in terms of defensive scoring and boost their playoff chances.

Provided the Arkansas product takes considerable time between having his practice window opened and being activated, Week 14 against the Bears or the following contest – a Thursday night affair against the Rams – would represent potential return dates. If all goes well on the recovery front, Greenlaw could be designated for return in the coming days and in doing so have his countdown to see the field again begin.

49ers Eyeing Midseason Return For LB Dre Greenlaw

September 26th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the 49ers appear in slightly better shape compared to their injury-marred 2020 season, the team has seen its star-stacked roster run into significant health trouble at an early juncture. Injuries have played a major role in the defending NFC champions’ 1-2 record.

Some of the pieces will return, though Javon Hargrave is not expected to and Christian McCaffrey‘s murky status overshadows the other issues at this point. But Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are practicing again. This comes after Talanoa Hufanga made his season debut against the Rams. The other key San Francisco starter to suffer a late-season injury last year does not appear to be expected to miss the bulk of this campaign, either.

San Francisco is expecting Dre Greenlaw to make a midseason return, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (subscription required). Going down with a historically ill-timed Achilles tear, Greenlaw can be activated from the PUP list beginning in Week 5. That appears ambitious for a player who went down early in Super Bowl LVIII, but the 49ers do not seem likely to wait too much longer for the three-down linebacker to re-emerge.

The team reached multiple contingency plans to cover for Greenlaw’s rehab timetable, agreeing to terms with Eric Kendricks and then De’Vondre Campbell. Kendricks backtracked on his 49ers pledge due to the Cowboys offering him more playing time compared to a 49ers role that would have seen him drift to a part-time performer once Greenlaw recovered. The team then gave Campbell a one-year, $5MM deal to be Fred Warner‘s stopgap sidekick. The Packers had cut Campbell after three seasons.

Campbell committed a costly pass interference penalty late in the Rams’ comeback win Sunday. It is too early for true assessments to be made, but Pro Football Focus ranks Kendricks 21st among off-ball ‘backers while slotting Campbell 54th. Campbell has played 92% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps, while nominal starter/part-time player Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles has logged a 26% snap rate. Greenlaw’s return stands to reduce Campbell’s workload to Flannigan-Fowles’ level or close to it.

Suffering the Achilles tear while trotting onto the field in the first half, Greenlaw had experienced pain in that area in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. This bit the 49ers at the worst possible time, as Travis Kelce took advantage of the suddenly depleted LB corps. Greenlaw was immediately deemed out of the picture for the season’s first four weeks, with the PUP list becoming inevitable due to mid-February surgery. No timetable emerged after that designation became official, with this midseason assessment being the closest thing to it. It is worth wondering if the 49ers will factor their Week 9 bye into this equation, though some big games — against the Seahawks and Chiefs — loom in Weeks 6 and 7.

Greenlaw, 27, is signed to a two-year, $16.4MM deal. The sixth-year veteran has a chance at a big payday come 2025, though he will need to return to his pre-tear form. Ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair‘s three-year, $34MM Texans deal could represent a viable target. With McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk extended this offseason and a Brock Purdy payday looming, the 49ers will have difficult decisions to make on defense. Greenlaw, Hufanga and cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are unsigned for 2025. For now, however, this group remains intact to help the 49ers rebound after a slow start. This cadre is poised to include Greenlaw soon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24

July 23rd, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Julién Davenport

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
  • Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

49ers Expecting To Start Season Without LB Dre Greenlaw

July 13th, 2024 at 10:24pm CST by Ely Allen

49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw has known for a while that he faces long odds of returning from injury in time for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl, Greenlaw has been working his way back to the field slowly. As the regular season approaches, though, it’s becoming more and more clear that San Francisco will need to look elsewhere to start the year.

According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the 49ers have been operating under the assumption that they’ll be starting the year without Greenlaw since they entered the offseason. Initially, the team made moves to acquire Eric Kendricks, planning to utilize him in that weakside linebacker role as Greenlaw continued to recover. Kendricks opted instead to sign with the Cowboys, changing his mind after coming to an agreement with San Francisco.

With Kendricks out, the Niners signed recent Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Campbell has spent most of his career as one of two inside linebackers in 3-4 defensive fronts, so he’ll face a slight adjustment in San Francisco’s base 4-3 scheme. The consensus after the spring is that Campbell will start off the year in Greenlaw’s weakside linebacker position until Greenlaw is able to come off of the injured list (likely the physically unable to perform list), then Campbell will transition to the strongside role.

To fill that strongside role until Campbell comes over, San Francisco has several options. There are three veterans — Zeke Turner, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, and Curtis Robinson — on the roster, but all three have established themselves as special teamers over the past few years, though Turner and Flannigan-Fowles do have a few starts under their belt. Three young, late-round draft picks make up the rest of the room. Last year’s seventh-round pick Jalen Graham saw extremely reserved time last season, while this year’s seventh-round rookie Tatum Bethune may not be asked to step into that big of a role this quickly.

Last year’s sixth-round pick out of TCU, Dee Winters, though, has been tabbed by starting middle linebacker Fred Warner as a player to watch. Though Winters played in 15 games last season, he played sparingly on the defense. This spring, though, Warner called out Winters as having “the best (organized team activities) out of anybody on the team.”

If Winters continues to be a strong contributor throughout training camp, he may end up getting elevated from special teamer to starter to open the year. Winters may be able to provide the 49ers with the temporary bandage they need to cover for the absence of Greenlaw until he returns from a probable PUP stint. If not, they may need to explore more veteran options on the free agent market or rely upon a veteran of their own.

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Tepper, Greenlaw

May 19th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys hit on quite a few of their picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, with first-rounder Tyler Smith reaching second-team All-Pro status last year, fourth-rounder Jake Ferguson earning the starting tight job halfway through his rookie season, and fifth-rounder DaRon Bland leading the NFL in interceptions, interception return yards, and pick sixes last season. Their second- and third-round picks from that draft, though, are still struggling to make a similar impact two years in. That may be changing soon.

Former second-round edge rusher Sam Williams found his name getting called fourth on the depth chart last year, behind Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Dorance Armstrong. It’s hard to imagine being disappointed with a fourth-place finish in that situation, considering Parsons has become a perennial DPOY candidate, Lawrence is a four-time Pro Bowler, and Armstrong is a veteran with 21.0 sacks in the last three years. Still, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Williams wants to play more, and director of player personnel Stephen Jones claims that, thanks to Armstrong’s departure in free agency to Washington, those opportunities will come this year, though he will be competing now with this year’s second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland.

Likewise, third-round wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has seen limited production behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Noah Brown, and Michael Gallup. With Brown gone last year, Tolbert stepped his role up a little bit. After the team released Gallup, Tolbert is, once again, expected to step his game up in 2024. With Lamb and Cooks returning, Tolbert will now be given a larger opportunity to step in as WR3, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC:

  • Many have looked at the Panthers‘ decision to draft Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft as a gigantic misstep, given the vast difference in success each team saw last year. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, some in the Panthers organization point to the S2 cognitive test as the main reasoning for the decision. Per Person, team owner David Tepper, a hedge-fund billionaire and a proponent of analytics, took the S2 test results very heavily into consideration when helping the team to make their decision. The test of processing speed and reaction time has been looked at as a potential indicator of future success at the quarterback position. Young scored extremely well (in the 98th percentile), while Stroud did not (18th percentile).
  • 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw notoriously missed a good mount of the team’s Super Bowl loss after tearing his Achilles tendon in the big game. According to a report from Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Greenlaw told the media that he had been experiencing some soreness in his Achilles for about a month or so before the game. He recently was able to shed his walking boot as he continues in recovery.
  • It’s been over a year since Steve Keim stepped down as general manager of the Cardinals following an indefinite leave of absence due to “an undisclosed health-related matter.” According to a recent interview Keim did with Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Cardinals administration advised Keim to check into a rehab while he was still general manager of the team. Of course, the situation eventually resulted in the two sides parting ways, but Keim continues to work on himself following the conclusion of his NFL career.

49ers LB Dre Greenlaw Unlikely To Be Ready For Week 1

March 27th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Dealt a strange blow when Dre Greenlaw suffered an Achilles tear while trotting onto the field during Super Bowl LVIII’s first half, the 49ers attempted multiple insurance measures. The Eric Kendricks plan did not pan out, leading De’Vondre Campbell to San Francisco.

The eight-year veteran will be set to team with Fred Warner in the event Greenlaw’s rehab does not have him ready to play by Week 1. Although Greenlaw underwent surgery shortly after the Super Bowl, the recent LB pursuit would suggest the 49ers are concerned the longtime Warner sidekick will not be ready in time to start the season.

John Lynch said at this week’s owners meetings (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco) Greenlaw is aiming to be back on time, but the eighth-year GM indicated this also may lead to a situation in which the reserve/PUP list is needed.

Greenlaw will almost definitely begin training camp on the active/PUP list, but a shift to the reserve/PUP list would sideline him for at least four games. Early October would represent a near-eight-month recovery timetable. While some players have beaten that — including ex-49ers wideout Michael Crabtree back in 2013 — caution would make sense on the 49ers’ part.

Kendricks backed out of a 49ers agreement to sign with the Cowboys. The longtime Vikings linebacker reunited with new Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer, but the 49ers offered him a better deal than the one-year, $3MM ($2.5MM guaranteed) contract he inked with Dallas. Kendricks said the 49ers wanted him to start the season in Greenlaw’s place, a three-down role, before likely moving to a part-time gig once the regular starter came back. Campbell signed a one-year, $5MM contract ($4.56MM guaranteed) soon after Kendricks backtracked.

“I didn’t want to be in a situation where I was playing in a position all year and then had to potentially switch to another position — rotating in and out,” Kendricks said on the Bussin’ With Boys podcast (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch). “I wanted to be on the field. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to make an impact, and that’s why, ultimately, I had to make a change for myself.”

Kendricks joined a team with a greater need for a full-time linebacker, as Greenlaw should be expected to return at some point during the season’s first half. Crabtree went down in late May 2013 and returned in early December. The 49ers could opt to leave Greenlaw off the PUP list and go week to week, but their Kendricks communications suggest a Warner-Campbell setup at linebacker to start the year. Greenlaw is going into his age-27 season. Greenlaw’s two-year, $16.4MM contract expires after the 2024 slate, raising the stakes for the former fifth-round pick to recover and play well this season.

49ers LB Dre Greenlaw Suffers Achilles Tear

February 15th, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

FEBRUARY 15: Greenlaw has already undergone surgery. The Pro Bowl defender went under the knife for what NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport calls a successful surgery Thursday. While this injury obviously occurred at a historically inopportune time for the 49ers, Greenlaw is expected to make a full recovery.

FEBRUARY 12: The 49ers lost Dre Greenlaw in unusual fashion midway through last night’s Super Bowl loss. As many feared upon witnessing the injury, the fifth-year linebacker now faces a lengthy recovery.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that Greenlaw suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday. After a 49ers punt, Greenlaw went down while making his way from the sidelines back onto the field. The non-contact injury left him in need of being carted off the field, and he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

The 26-year-old missed the regular season finale with Achilles tendonitis, an ailment which lingered through the postseason. Coupled with the various other injuries he played through during the year, Greenlaw’s ability to simply dress for the Super Bowl drew praise. Given his health situation heading into the game, however, it comes as little surprise he was ultimately forced to leave.

Again partnering with Fred Warner as part of arguably the league’s top linebacker tandem, Greenlaw had a productive 2023 campaign while battling through injury. In 15 contests, he recorded 120 tackles, 1.5 sacks and four pass deflections. He remained a key playmaker in the postseason, recording a pair of interceptions (including a game-winner in the divisional round) en route to the Super Bowl. The former fifth-rounder registered three tackles on Sunday before suffering the injury.

Oren Burks filled in at linebacker the rest of the way, and he played a role on a San Francisco defense which kept Kansas City’s offense in check for much of the game. Greenlaw’s absence was no doubt acutely felt, however, down the stretch and in overtime in particular when the Chiefs pulled off the victory. Burks is a pending free agent, but Greenlaw is under contract for 2024 as a result of the extension he signed early in the 2022 campaign.

The latter will now turn his attention to a long recovery process in the hopes of being able to suit up by the start of next season. His ability to return to form when on the field will be a key factor in determining his value on another new contract with San Francisco (which has Warner on the books at a cap hit of $24MM-plus over the next three years) or an another team. His rehab process will be worth monitoring over the offseason.

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