San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was away for one season with the Denver Broncos. However, that 2025 campaign didn’t go as planned, with Greenlaw missing extended time due to multiple quadriceps injuries. As a result, Denver cut ties with him this offseason.
Now, Greenlaw is back with the Niners after a season away and is looking to get his career back on track in a place where he’s experienced success.
In his first stint with the 49ers, the veteran linebacker recorded 295 solo tackles, 160 assisted tackles, 3.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions in 64 games, per StatMuse.
Greenlaw spoke to the media on May 28 and shared what the last season with the Broncos was like for him as he looks to rebound in San Francisco.
“Last year was tough,” Greenlaw said (h/t Matt Lively of CBS Sports Bay Area). “Last year was real tough, but it’s just part of ball, it’s part of life. Life ain’t never been just going the way you think it’s gonna go or going the way you want it to go.
“But I had to learn a lot about myself last year and then just take a step back and … I didn’t get a chance to play football a lot. So I’m just grateful to be healthy right now and play football. But you definitely have times when things weren’t going good that you kind of felt like, ‘Damn.’”
49ers’ Dre Greenlaw Has No Regrets About Leaving for Denver
Moreover, Greenlaw doesn’t believe leaving the 49ers for the Broncos was a mistake, despite the signing not going as he or Denver likely wanted it to last season.
“Like I said, I don’t think none of it was a mistake,” Greenlaw added. “I want to say that I’d do it again, but I’ll let it play out just the same because, like I said, I’m always thankful to be where my feet are and there’s no telling where I’d be now that things went the way they did last year.”
Dre Greenlaw Has Different Perspective After Broncos Stint
Even though his one season with the Broncos didn’t go as planned, he took away lessons off the field after battling injuries. Furthermore, the 49ers linebacker has a different perspective on life in this second stint with the team that drafted him in 2019.
“It gives you a different perspective on how much the building really means, how much the people inside the building means to you, how much that passion you play for isn’t just for the love of the game, but it’s for the love of the building as well,” Greenlaw said.
“So it just gives you a little bit of reality and just say, ‘Okay, why do you play the game of football?’ So it was some hard times.”
The goal now for Greenlaw will likely be to stay healthy and rekindle that linebacker magic with Fred Warner. If the two can be impactful players on defense, it will go a long way in helping the Niners get back to the playoffs and potentially go on a deep run to reach the Super Bowl.
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