Social media post hints at Dre Greenlaw’s possible departure from the 49ers

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw remains under contract through March, after which he will become a free agent. While his future with the 49ers remains uncertain, a recent social media post has sparked speculation that Greenlaw could be preparing for a fresh start with another NFL team in 2025.

The post, shared by Sydney Warner, linebacker Fred Warner’s wife, highlighted a surprise meeting for Greenlaw’s fiancée Mikaela Gallagher (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area’s Taylor Wirth). The headline hinted at a possible farewell and read: “POV: Your team didn’t make the playoffs and NFL free agency takes your best friend to another team and we’re all doing very badly.”

The cryptic post raises the question of whether the 49ers expressed concerns to Greenlaw about keeping him. Still, general manager John Lynch recently expressed his desire to keep Greenlaw in red and gold.

“We love Dre and are interested in keeping him here for a long time,” Lynch said. “He’s a special player, so we’ll let this happen over time.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed similar sentiments when discussing Greenlaw and another future free agent, safety Talanoa Hufanga.

“Those are two of the better players I’ve ever been around and two of the better players on our team and two of the biggest reasons we’ve had the success we’ve had here,” Shanahan said recently. “Hopefully we can do everything we can to keep them here because they are as good examples of the 49ers as any I can think of.”

Greenlaw spent most of the 2024 season injured as he recovered from a torn Achilles tendon. He briefly returned for two games, but another setback in the second game led the 49ers to sideline the linebacker for the final two games of the season.

San Francisco made Greenlaw a fifth-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2019. In his six seasons, he accumulated 455 tackles (18 for a loss), three interceptions, one touchdown, 3.5 sacks, 14 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, establishing himself as a valuable part of the team.

The 49ers finished the season with a disappointing 6-11 record, marking their first playoff absence since 2020. As the offseason begins, the team faces uncertainty surrounding the expected contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, which will likely force some difficult roster decisions becomes.