San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw remains under contract until March, after which he becomes a free agent. While his future with the 49ers is uncertain, a recent social media post has sparked speculation that Greenlaw might be gearing up for a fresh start with another NFL team in 2025.
The post, shared by Sydney Warner, wife of linebacker Fred Warner, highlighted a surprise gathering for Greenlaw's fiancé, Mikaela Gallagher (h/t Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area). Its caption hinted at a possible farewell, reading: "POV: your team didn't make playoffs and the NFL free agency is taking your best friend to another team and we are all severely unwell."
The cryptic post raises questions about whether the 49ers have expressed concerns to Greenlaw about retaining him. Despite this, general manager John Lynch recently shared his desire to keep Greenlaw in red and gold.
"We love Dre, and we're interested in keeping him here for a long time," Lynch said. "He's a special player, so we'll let that take care of itself as time progresses here."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed similar sentiments while discussing Greenlaw and another free-agent-to-be, safety Talanoa Hufanga.
"Those are two of the better players I've been around, and two of the better players on our team, and two of the main reasons we've had the success here we've had," Shanahan recently said. "Hopefully, we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they're as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I could think of."
Greenlaw spent most of the 2024 season on injured reserve as he recovered from a torn Achilles. He briefly returned for two games, but another setback in the second contest prompted the 49ers to shut the linebacker down for the final two matchups of the season.
San Francisco made Greenlaw a fifth-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2019. Over his six seasons, he has amassed 455 tackles (18 for a loss), three interceptions, a touchdown, 3.5 sacks, 14 passes defensed, 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. Heading into the offseason, the team faces uncertainty with the anticipated contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, which will likely force some tough roster decisions.