March 21, 2026, 7:15 a.m. PT

The San Francisco 49ers have made some key acquisitions this offseason, especially with two big moves on the defensive side of the ball, as they traded for defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa and brought back linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

While Odighizuwa is joining San Francisco’s defense for the first time and will certainly make an impact, Greenlaw’s returning to the team that he spent his first six seasons with after a one-year stay with the Denver Broncos.

Speaking with Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp on his own podcast, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner shared his thoughts on Greenlaw signing with San Francisco, and he seems happy.

“Yeah, no, it’s bad, bro. It’s bad for you. Bad for old Matthew [Stafford], man. Bad for everybody going forward,” Warner said. “Because it’s different when you’ve got such a rapport and a connection with somebody. Every single time I played with Dre for the seven years we played together, it was an unspoken language on the field where I don’t have to turn to him and be like, ‘Hey, Dre. Look for this…’ It’s just like it was unspoken. We’re moving together in unison, and it was just so easy because we just had this great vibe with one another on and off the field. It allows you to play even more free when you got a cat like that.

“And I’ve played with great linebackers, right? I played with Dee Winters last year, Kwon Alexander and a ton of other ones. But Dre, he’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever played with on a field, and he’s just so ferocious and relentless in the way that he plays the game. You just love playing with guys like that who just are willing to give it up. No matter what the situation is, he’ll look you dead in your eye. And it’s like, god damn, this guy is not playing around. He’s looking to tear somebody’s head off. So yeah, man, it’s going to be good to have him back. I can’t lie.”

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Warner missed a good chunk of 2025 with a fractured ankle, but he’s expected to return for the start of the 2026, where he’ll reunite with Greenlaw, who played in just eight games and recorded 43 tackles, two passes defensed, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble with Denver last year.

It will be interesting to see what role Greenlaw plays this year. Will he take over his old spot as the starter, or will he split reps with Winters, who started all 17 games and had a career-high 101 tackles in 2025.

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