After appearing in just two games in 2024, Greenlaw left San Francisco for a three-year, $35 million deal with the Denver Broncos, joining another rising defense but struggling to stay on the field due to multiple injuries. After one season, Denver cut Greenlaw, choosing to spend his cap hit on keeping two other linebackers (Justin Strnad, Alex Singleton) and send him back to free agency.
Greenlaw returns to San Francisco with a new item at the top of his agenda: Meet new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who replaced Robert Saleh after the latter took the top job at Tennessee in January.
Greenlaw turns 29 in May and will fill a deep role in San Francisco, where the 49ers learned the value of solid veterans down the depth chart after watching injuries destroy the linebacker corps last season.