The 49ers have a competition brewing at linebacker

The San Francisco 49ers have been flirting with a competition at linebacker next to Fred Warner.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With Dee Winters entering his third year with the team and getting a handful of starts last year, the expectation is that he would be the San Francisco 49ers' second linebacker when the team is in nickel looks. However, the team signed Luke Gifford in free agency, and the early look is that this may be a competition. 

Luke Gifford has a chance to start at linebacker for the 49ers

Depth Chart Update: LB Luke Gifford got the start next to Fred Warner to begin team period

Dee Winters rotated in with Fred later

— Brad (@Graham_SFN) July 23, 2025

Winters played 398 snaps last year and has 460 snaps over the course of his career. Gifford has a longer career, staying in the NFL since 2019. However, he has just 295 total defensive snaps over that time. To be fair, 203 of them were last season, and he started four games to close out the Titans' season. 

Still, Gifford has stuck in the NFL because he is a special teams asset and can serve reliably as depth. When you add in that Fred Warner has discussed Winters as if he is the starter, and Warner thinks that he can take a step forward, this may be more of a means to push Winters to take that step. 

Tennessee Titans linebacker Luke Gifford (57) celebrates a stop on special teams against the New York Jets during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is smart to not completely hand over a job to a third-year player who is a former sixth-round pick and has not quite earned a role yet, as injury and a bizarre incident with De’Vondre Campbell are what got him on the field last year. 

Still, if you are handicapping this battle, Winters has to be sitting as a heavy favorite right now. Gifford is a scrappy underdog, but he has an outside shot to push him early into camp. It is worth following, though.