Dre Greenlaw’s return to the San Francisco 49ers was the least surprising roster move once he became available.
His contract with the Denver Broncos ended after one year after signing a three-year contract last offseason. The moment the 49ers saw they had the chance to bring Greenlaw back, they acted and never looked back.
It may only be a one-year, $7.5 million contract, suggesting some caution over his fitness, but his return not only lifts the locker room, but it also strengthens the linebacker corps.
One of the biggest advocates for this signing is Brock Purdy, who explained what it means to bring him back to San Francisco.
“Oh, it’s huge. Obviously when he came back, it was like, all right, he’s like one of our brothers that came back and it’s almost like, let’s pick up where we left off after that season when he left,” shared Purdy with reporters at training camp.
“But, just his presence, the dog that he has, when he steps on the field, it’s like everyone feeds off that kind of energy. And being on offense, I’ll look across the ball and be like, ‘oh shoot.
“You’ve got Dre Greenlaw next to Fred again, and they’re flying around and they’re filling the gaps. You could feel them.’ And so, just having him in our locker room and his presence is a real thing.
“And he looks out for all the young guys too. He’s a real brother, but the minute that dude steps on the field, it’s like, you’ve got to be ready. We all just want to go to war with him. So, I think it was a huge addition to get him back.”
Greenlaw is an extremely popular figure within the locker room, and his return after one year away shows just how much he was missed during his time with the Broncos.
There are some understandable question marks surrounding his fitness after the devastating Achilles injury he suffered in the Super Bowl, along with a torn quadriceps issue that plagued his time in Denver. It’s been a tough few years for him as he has only played in 10 games over the last two seasons.
But to be positive, it might be a good move for the 49ers to bring him back. At the moment, he’s inexpensive and the reunion with Fred Warner could reignite that spark.
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