Oct 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) reacts after a sack against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Instant Grade: 49ers Bring Back Fiery LB Dre Greenlaw

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Jose Sanchez | Last updated Mar 12, 2026 6:02 PM ET

He's back.

The beloved, fiery linebacker Dre Greenlaw is back with the San Francisco 49ers after spending this past season with the Denver Broncos. Greenlaw is signing a one-year, $7.5 million deal to return.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the 49ers and Greenlaw are reunited. The 49ers really wanted Greenlaw back during free agency last year.

They went as far as flying Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch to his house to convince him to re-sign. By that time, it was too late, as the Broncos approached him first.

Now, both the 49ers and Greenlaw seem to be rewriting last year's wrongs. He's back, but not without some obvious concerns.

Dre Greenlaw struggles to stay healthy

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The main reason the Broncos released Greenlaw was due to his inability to stay healthy, along with not being a personality fit on the team.

Greenlaw only played in 10 games for the Broncos, including two playoff games. He registered 43 tackles and 23 run stops while playing roughly 53% of the time.

A quad injury is what limited his 2025 season. Injuries have been an issue for him since 2024, so why would the 49ers take a chance on him again after all that?

It's simple – he's worth rolling the dice on. Two years ago, Charvarius Ward told me that Greenlaw is the "motor" of the 49ers' defense. He is the emotional, tone-setting player.

Why did the 49ers bring Dre Greenlaw back despite his injury concerns? As Charvarius Ward told me 2 years ago, he’s the “motor” of their defense. pic.twitter.com/yguIT49vCi
— Jose Sanchez (@JS3Sanchezz) March 12, 2026

Sometimes it gets him into trouble, but that's well worth what he brings. And while his stats weren't amazing last season, his impact, especially as a run defender, was felt.

The 49ers need that on their defense. They need a player who will get everyone else around them to play better. Just look back at the two games he played for the 49ers in 2024.

Their defense was night and day different when he was on the field. It's more than just what he does on the field; it's what he gets out of the guys around him.

The 49ers could use someone physical and fiery like Greenlaw. They didn't have that last year. It's not that the 49ers were soft, but they weren't as imposing a defense as before.

Greenlaw's absence played a significant role in that. Bringing him back makes sense, even with the injury concerns. If he can be mostly healthy, the 49ers will have executed a slam dunk signing.

Grade: B

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz to interact with him on the 49ers and more.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: