Dre Greenlaw was drafted and developed by the San Francisco 49ers, and he became an integral part of the team\u2019s defense from 2019 to 2024. However, the veteran linebacker left the 49ers in 2025, signing a three-year deal worth $35 million with the Denver Broncos. <\/p>\n
Now, after one year away, Greenlaw is back home in San Francisco, rejoining the 49ers in free agency<\/a> this year.<\/p>\n The passionate linebacker had one of his worst years as a pro, with injuries limiting him to just eight games. Denver figured Greenlaw was no longer a great fit for its defense, so the Broncos decided to release him. <\/p>\n Turns out, the veteran linebacker seemingly agreed with the move, because he recently expressed that he was unhappy during the 2025 season.<\/p>\n In an appearance on \u201cThe Set\u201d podcast<\/a>, hosted by former NFL lineman Terron Armstead, Greenlaw flat out said<\/a>, \u201cI just wasn\u2019t happy,\u201d and it all started with his injuries. Not only was his body not responding how he wanted it to, he didn\u2019t enjoy the process of having to take reps from Denver\u2019s other linebackers, who were playing well, and the linebacker also wasn\u2019t fond of splitting snaps:<\/p>\n “For me, it was like, the fact that I’m not healthy, I don’t feel that twitch or that gear that I felt like I need to have, but obviously I’m out here trying to do everything I can to be on the field\u2026 Now I’ve got to slowly come in and take reps from somebody else, which the linebackers were playing really, really good at the time, so now I’m just taking reps from this guy. And now it’s like, OK, we’re splitting reps, how are we going to do it? One week it’s this, one week it’s that, and it’s like, I’ve never been in that position before. Yeah, I just wasn’t happy. That’s really what it boiled down to at the end of the day.”<\/p>\n Dre Greenlaw (The Set podcast)<\/p>\n Greenlaw also understood the frustration from Denver, since one of its big free-agent additions only played half the season. <\/p>\n However, the linebacker doesn\u2019t regret any of it, nor does he have any ill will towards he Broncos \u2014 he is happy to be back in San Francisco, though.<\/p>\n Dre Greenlaw is happy to be back with 49ers<\/p>\n