Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is back in red and gold.
Originally drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft, Greenlaw spent six seasons in San Francisco before a brief stint with the Denver Broncos in 2025. Now, he returns to The Bay bringing a familiar presence back to the 49ers defense.
Here are five things to know (or remember) about Greenlaw:
When Dre Greenlaw is on the field, he's usually right next to linebacker Fred Warner, and that's exactly how the 49ers like it. The duo has long been considered one of the best linebacker tandems in the NFL, built on years of chemistry, communication, and a shared, physical play style.
"He was too good… they couldn't take him off the field," Warner once said of Greenlaw's rookie season.
Even former players like Richard Sherman have emphasized how special the pairing is, noting the two "feed off one another" and elevate each other's game.
"A lot of times you can't find one without the other," Sherman stated on the Richard Sherman Podcast.
The last time many fans saw Greenlaw in a 49ers uniform, it was in one of the toughest moments of his career.
In the first half of Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs, Greenlaw suffered a devastating Achilles injury that sidelined him and marked a difficult chapter in his journey.
Now over a year removed, there's strong belief he's ready to return to form.
"It's that second year when you really see the jump," Sherman said. "That's when you start to look like yourself again."
After appearing in eight games (seven starts) with the Broncos in 2025, recording 43 tackles, 1.0 sack, one interception, and one forced fumble, Greenlaw returns to San Francisco looking to pick up right where he left off.
Before the NFL, Greenlaw made his mark at the University of Arkansas, where he appeared in 42 games (39 starts) and totaled 299 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks.
And when it comes to his Arkansas roots, that culture still shows up, especially in the kitchen for Greenlaw.
"We've got raccoon, squirrel, possum, deer... alligator, anything you want," Greenlaw said on the 49ers You've Got Mail podcast. "And we can do it all – fried, cooked, baked, grilled, boiled – hog, pig feet, chitlings, all of it."
Safe to say, his taste is just as bold as his play style.
There's a reason teammates call him "Big Play Dre."
From his rookie season on, Greenlaw has had a knack for showing up in big moments, something that quickly earned the respect of teammates and coaches. Head coach Kyle Shanahan once put it simply:
"Dre is one of the best players in the league… he's a difference maker."
One of those defining moments came in 2019, when Greenlaw made a game-saving goal-line stop for the 49ers to clinch the NFC West. The play became so iconic that his jersey from that game is now part of the 49ers Museum's permanent collection.
And the big moments didn't stop there. One of Greenlaw's personal favorites was with one of the NFL's all-time greats, quarterback Tom Brady back in 2022.
"My Brady ball," Greenlaw said. "That was special… just knowing how big of a G.O.A.T. he is, that was a pretty big moment."
Greenlaw's impact goes beyond the stat sheet, it's something his teammates feel every time he's on the field.
"I'm a huge fan of that," tight end George Kittle said on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast about Greenlaw's return. "He makes everybody around him better… I've never seen a player play with more juice than he does."
That energy is contagious and it's a big reason why Greenlaw's return adds a spark to the 49ers defense.
