Report: 49ers tried to pry Greenlaw away from Broncos after agreement

The 49ers reportedly tried hard to retain veteran linebacker and fan favorite Dre Greenlaw even after his free-agent commitment to the Denver Broncos, where the 27-year-old ultimately signed a three-year contract reportedly worth $35 million.

On Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained how San Francisco failed to retain Greenlaw in an appearance on Denver's Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.

“I think they killed it,” Schefter said about Denver’s free-agent decisions. “I think they, honestly, hit free agency just right; like, it worked out as well as it could’ve. You know, the 49ers were trying to get back Dre Greenlaw, even after Denver had an agreement done with him; they were pushing to get that done, and they were pushing to flip his decision in this world that we live in where people commit and there are agreements. 

“The 49ers tried to flip Dre Greenlaw back to San Francisco, and I think they were pretty persuasive, but not persuasive enough. I think Dre Greenlaw stood his ground and kind of stayed with Denver. … In San Francisco, they’re struggling to pay everybody, so that’s part of it.”

“I think they killed it! I think they hit free agency just right.” @AdamSchefter believes the Broncos have had a very productive offseason so far.#BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/LGIsDaKcLC

— 92.5 FM - Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) March 17, 2025

According to Schefter, San Francisco didn’t just let Greenlaw walk, but instead put up a fight before Denver officially landed the star linebacker in addition to ex-49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Greenlaw had been a force in San Francisco since the franchise selected him No. 148 overall out of Arkansas in the 2019 NFL Draft. Over five seasons, he started 68 games, formed a nightmare duo alongside perennial All-Pro Fred Warner and was one of the 49ers’ locker-room leaders.

Greenlaw only played two games during the 2024 NFL season after taking virtually the entire campaign to rehab the torn Achilles he suffered in San Francisco’s Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

While it’s unknown if Greenlaw ever will return to peak form, Schefter’s report indicates that the linebacker will be sorrowfully missed in the Bay.