Why Dre Greenlaw Didn't Think Twice About Rejoining the 49ers

This is why Dre Greenlaw locked onto the 49ers as soon as he became a free agent.

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

The most obvious team that Dre Greenlaw was going to sign with in free agency after the Denver Broncos cut him was the San Francisco 49ers.

Maybe the Houston Texans had a chance since Greenlaw is close with DeMeco Ryans. But the 49ers were always the automatic team for him to join.

Sure enough, as soon as Greenlaw became a free agent, he returned to the 49ers. He practically locked onto them immediately, which makes you wonder if any other team was an option for him.

"Nah, there wasn't. I didn't think about anywhere else, honestly," Greenlaw said at Day 2 of OTAs. "It could've been, but it wasn't a possibility. I was coming back here."

That makes perfect sense given how quickly he signed with the 49ers. It also makes sense that he didn't think twice about rejoining them rather than signing elsewhere.

A rough time in Denver

Sep 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) on the sidelines prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Greenlaw has opened up before about having some regret joining the Broncos. It's not so much because he didn't enjoy the franchise, but that numerous factors played against him.

2025 was a tough and trying year for him, especially with injuries plaguing him again. Once he knew the Broncos would release him, he wanted to return to what he knew was comfortable to him, and that was to play for the 49ers.

"Unbelievable feeling. Just missing the guys and the organization," said Greenlaw on his first day back with the 49ers. "Just missing all of the workers in the organization, the coaches. It's just a sense of feeling like home is what I kind of got."

Home is where the heart is

It's like Greenlaw never left. This was always home to him, and he never truly wanted to leave. One of the reasons he didn't, and the person he surely missed, was Fred Warner.

"To be beside a guy like Fred, just always locked in. His love for the game radiates throughout the whole team. His leadership and his voice- that's the main thing. He's the voice on the defense, and you've got somebody like that, confident next to you; he just kind of settles you down. It feels like normal."

Greenlaw gets to rekindle a menacing linebacker duo with Warner. At the top of their games, these two players were regarded as one of, if not the best, linebacker tandems in the NFL.

They have a prime chance this upcoming season to do it again, barring health. That's the only thing holding Greenlaw back, as he has a comfortable mindset being back home with the 49ers.

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