49ers make desperate move after losing Dre Greenlaw to Broncos

Although the San Francisco 49ers lost Dre Greenlaw in free agency to the Denver Broncos, it wasn’t without a fight. After the first week of the 2025 NFL free agency window concluded, ESPN’s Adam Schefter joined Denver’s Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM to discuss how the 49ers tried retaining Greenlaw.

“You know, the Niners were trying to get back Dre Greenlaw, even after Denver had an agreement done with him,” Schefter said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “They were pushing to get that done. And, they were trying to flip his decision. … The Niners tried to flip Dre Greenlaw back to San Francisco. And I think they were pretty persuasive, but not persuasive enough. I think Dre Greenlaw stood his ground and kind of stayed with Denver.

“In San Francisco, they’re struggling to pay everybody, so that’s part of it.”

Now, when looking at the teams that are flying by the seat of their pants on making enough cap space to field a full roster, the 49ers’ finance team could be in for a long offseason.

And — according to Schefter’s report — their job almost got harder, as the 49ers were insistent on trying to keep Greenlaw on their defense.

As a 27-year-old linebacker, Greenlaw has spent all six years in the NFL with the 49ers. However, he’s headed east, joining Sean Payton and the Broncos.

Denver sported one of the best defenses in the league in 2024, and with Greenlaw joining a somewhat needy linebacker group, the expectations are even higher in 2025.

After Greenlaw tore his Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII, he missed the first 13 games, making his 2024 debut on Thursday Night Football in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams.

However, after appearing twice for the 49ers in 2024, Greenlaw was shut down for the last two games.

And with the other contracts ahead of the 27-year-old linebacker in the 49ers’ queue of bills, Greenlaw teamed up with Payton, joining a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and … Geno Smith. Okay, well, the first two names were intimidating.

Regardless, the 49ers — although they reportedly pleaded for the linebacker to re-sign in free agency, even after a deal was in place for him to leave — go into 2025 with another hole in their roster, yet little money to do anything about it.

Unfortunately for Greenlaw, he doesn’t face his former team in the upcoming regular season, as the 49ers and Broncos aren’t opponents in 2025.

There is always the possibility for the playoffs, but the Broncos have a much greater likelihood than the 49ers of making a postseason run, especially with Dre Greenlaw on their defense.