Getty
San Francisco 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw
The San Francisco 49ers have some major personnel decisions to make, and that includes a major choice involving LB Dre Greenlaw.
Greenlaw just made his return from injury against the Los Angeles Rams. The veteran LB and the 49ers defense played well by limiting the Rams to just 12 points, albeit in a loss. But as the team moves forward, DE Nick Bosa and CB Deommodore Lenoir are both calling on San Francisco to extend Greenlaw.
“Got to get Dre locked in,” Bosa said per NBC Sports Bay Area.
Lenoir shared a similar message, saying, “I’m praying we resign him back, get our dog back. He looked well worth it.”
Greenlaw is in his sixth NFL season, albeit it will be a short one due to his time away with a ruptured Achilles. While Greenlaw is clearly important to the 49ers’ locker room and has a tremendous resume, his Achilles injury is the second major injury of his career.
Further, the 49ers have several other futures to determine. QB Brock Purdy could get an extension, and there are also other key players set to hit free agency in 2025.
Greenlaw’s Contract Situation
After impressing on his rookie deal, the Niners handed Greenlaw a two-year, $16.4 million deal at the start of the 2022 season. While that’s a solid payday, it was a shell of what could’ve been.
Greenlaw suffered a groin injury that required surgery in 2021, which saw him return after a nine-week IR stint and then re-injure the groin again. While San Francisco was still determined to re-sign him at the time, it meant that the former Arkansas Razorback missed out on millions of dollars.
As the 2025 offseason approaches, Greenlaw could be entering a similar situation. The Niners clearly value him, but the timing of the Achilles injury means that they can’t really rationalize a long-term, high-pay deal.
Instead, San Francisco could consider another two-year deal. That would allow Greenlaw to stick around, but also allow the 49ers an out should Greenlaw struggle going forward.
The final three games of the season will likely play a significant role in that decision. If Greenlaw shows that he hasn’t lost a step, then San Francisco will probably feel better about re-signing the veteran LB to a new deal.
49ers Alum Believes Team Will Pay Purdy
The numbers floating around Purdy’s next deal may seem lofty to some, but not to NFL legend Richard Sherman. The former 49ers corner spoke on the topic on his podcast, stating that Purdy’s success in San Francisco warrants a top deal.
“When you’re negotiating with a team, unless you’re willing to move on from Brock Purdy, they’re going to be paying him $50-plus million,” Sherman said on a December 17 episode. “This guy has been to an NFC Championship and a Super Bowl. He played incredibly well in the postseason.”
Sherman also asserted that there are 5 quarterbacks hitting the $50 million mark that haven’t had the success Purdy has had. While that may be true, San Francisco still has to cover their bases and make sure they don’t end up on the wrong side of a mega contract.
Evan Reier is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He previously covered sports for the Montana Standard and was a managing editor for Outsider. More about Evan Reier
More Heavy on 49ers News
Loading more stories