INDIANAPOLIS — John Lynch on Wednesday confirmed the 49ers are in communication with Dre Greenlaw’s representation in an attempt to keep the linebacker with San Francisco going forward.
The general manager/president of football operations spoke to local Bay Area media at the NFL Scouting Combine and shared his hope to get a deal done.
“We’re very interested in having Dre back,” Lynch said. “Those are one of those deals, this time of year. We’ve had more time to do planning, but no matter how much planning you do, it always seems to everyone — Dre should go out and see what’s out there, and we know where we have to be.
“You know how highly we think of Dre, and we’d love to have that.”
The 49ers selected Greenlaw in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the veteran defender signed a two-year contract extension in 2022. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent this spring, though San Francisco has the sole ability to negotiate with Greenlaw and his representation until March 10, when the 2025 league year begins and the linebacker can test the open market.
“Hopefully that’s not the case,” Lynch said. “Hopefully we can come to an agreement. We’ve been having talks, so we’ll see if we can get that set.”
Greenlaw appeared in two games during the 2024 NFL season after returning from an Achilles injury that occurred in the first half of the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss. The 27-year-old only was on the field for 30 defensive snaps in San Francisco’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, racking up a whopping eight total tackles — three solo — in the the first half.
The following week, Greenlaw played just four snaps before coming out of the game with calf tightness. The 49ers wanted to be judicious with his recovering Achilles, so Greenlaw’s 2024 season ended early.
Lynch isn’t the only member of the 49ers brass that wants to keep Greenlaw in the Red and Gold. While at the Pro Bowl in January, Nick Bosa revealed that returning defensive coordinator Robert Saleh told the pass rusher he was “adamant” about securing Greenlaw’s future with the team.
“That wasn’t in his negotiation,” Lynch said with a chuckle. “But we know what Robert thinks of him. He was a part of drafting him and then seeing the player. I mean, all you got to do is turn on the tape — fantastic.”
The 49ers head into the 2025 season with Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Tatum Bethune and Jalen Graham on the roster at linebacker, and Greenlaw’s presence certainly would be a return welcomed by all.
