LOS ANGELES — The reunion of 49ers linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw is one that Luke Kuechly is looking forward to seeing.
If there’s anyone who is an expert on linebacker play, it’s Kuechly, who recently became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The retired linebacker was in Southern California to participate in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic and spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area about the 49ers duo.
“I love Fred,” Kuechly said. “They are perfect for each other. Dre is energy, passion, physicality, toughness, run and go get guys. Fred to me is, when you watch him play the game, it’s fun to watch. He’s smooth, he can run, he looks good in a jersey, he’s smart, her processes well. You can tell he loves the game.
“Those two together, is a deadly combination.”
Greenlaw returns to the Bay Area following one season with the Denver Broncos after signing a three-year, $31.5 million contract in 2025. The linebacker was released after appearing in only eight games, which allowed the 49ers work out a one-year $7.5 million contract for 2026.
When healthy, Greenlaw was a vital contributor on the defense, with over 100 tackles in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, helping the 49ers appear in Super Bowl LIV and LVIII, the latter in which he tore his Achilles tendon.
The 49ers made an effort to re-sign Greenlaw after he had verbally agreed to terms with the Broncos, and coach Kyle Shananhan appeared to regret not having a greater sense of urgency in keeping their 2019 draft pick in house.
“Very excited,” Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area over the weekend in Los Angeles. “Dre is one of my favorite players ever — people ever. We were heartbroken that we lost him last year, but it was just a year away, and he’s right back at home and we are very excited.”
Warner went to greet Greenlaw at team headquarters following his official contract signing and the two were clearly enthusiastic about their reunion.
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