Of all the players the 49ers let leave this offseason, Dre Greenlaw probably will be the one they miss the most.
No disrespect to Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, Aaron Banks and Leonard Floyd. They’re good players and the 49ers will feel their absence as well. But Greenlaw was a foundational player on their team — as important as Fred Warner, George Kittle and Nick Bosa.
And in one half of football against the Rams at the end of last season, Greenlaw showed that he still had the speed, agility and violence that made him great before he tore his Achilles. Whether he can stay healthy for a full season anymore, that’s unclear. But when he’s healthy, he’s still Greenlaw.
And without Greenlaw, the 49ers might never have gone to two Super Bowls under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
In 2019, Greenlaw made the game-saving tackle at the goal line against the Seattle Seahawks in the final game of the season to clinch the No. 1 for the 49ers. And they needed the No. 1 seed to reach the Super Bowl both times they made it.
In 2023, Greenlaw intercepted Jordan Love twice in the divisional playoffs, and the second interception ended the game. Without Greenlaw, the 49ers probably would have lost that game. And that team had nine players rank in the NFL’s top 100.
Then in the Super Bowl in 2024, Greenlaw tore his Achilles running onto the field early in the second quarter. When he went down, the Chiefs had no points. If he had stayed healthy, who knows, the 49ers might have won that game.
Now they have to find someone to replace him. And that won’t be easy. He’s not just a great linebacker, he’s mean on the field.
The 49ers defense is soft without him.
