Three 49ers Veterans in Danger of Losing Their Jobs to Rookies

These players need to watch their backs.

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The offseason is relatively young, and one player on the 49ers already has lost his starting spot.

Dee Winters was the 49ers' starting weakside linebacker last season. Now, he'll back up Dre Greenlaw, assuming Greenlaw can stay healthy for the first time since 2023. That's a sobering demotion for Winters, who started all 17 regular-season games last year.

Winters isn't the only incumbent starter who will have to take a seat on the bench this upcoming season. Here are three more 49ers veterans who could lose their starting jobs to rookies in 2026.

Connor Colby | Left Guard

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Colby started six games at left guard last season as a rookie, and he was horrible. His pass-blocking grade on Pro Football Focus was 33.7, which ranked 79th out of 81 qualifying guards.

To be fair, Colby played through a groin injury. Plus, he was a rookie, and he was drafted in Round 7. All things considered, he exceeded expectations simply by making the team and getting on the field.

Still, when veteran Spencer Burford returned from a knee injury, Burford started at left guard, and Colby went to the bench. Now, Burford is on the Raiders, and Colby is sitting on top of the depth chart once again. Probably not for long, though.

If the 49ers care at all about Brock Purdy's health and well-being, they'll draft a Day 1 starting guard in Round 1 or 2, and he'll compete with Colby. And Colby will lose, assuming the 49ers get the pick right.

Ji'Ayir Brown | Free Safety

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Brown has lost the starting free safety job more times than I can count. He started last season as a Dime back and eventually regained the free-safety position simply because the other options were worse than him. He's slow, he doesn't make plays on the ball, and he's not a great tackler. He's a liability.

That's why the 49ers could spend a first-round pick on a safety for the first time since 2014 when they took Jimmie Ward.

Renardo Green | Cornerback

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Green is good when he's asked to play man-to-man coverage, but the 49ers want to play zone, and he's not a natural fit in zone coverage. He doesn't intercept passes and he's not a strong tackler. He's best at chasing wide receivers and knocking down passes.

He also got into an argument on the sideline with Kyle Shanahan during the 49ers' playoff loss to the Seahawks. This was when Shanahan benched Green for a drive, and his replacement gave up a touchdown catch.

Now, the 49ers have a new defensive coordinator in Raheem Morris, and he might want to replace Green with someone he hand-picks. Who knows, the 49ers might even trade Green if they draft a cornerback in Round 1.