The 49ers have signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw to a two-year contract extension, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.
Buy 49ers TicketsGreenlaw was due to enter unrestricted free agency next offseason. However, the 49ers have made an early move to avoid that scenario, committing to a player who when healthy has served as a pivotal cog in the 49ers’ defense.
A fifth-round pick out of Arkansas in 2019, Greenlaw solidified himself as a starter in his rookie year and cemented his place in 49er lore with his goal-line stop in Seattle that clinched the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Yet Greenlaw has not played a full season since and was restricted to just three regular-season games in 2021 because of injury.
Greenlaw’s misfortune with injuries may explain the short-term nature of his extension, which allows the 49ers to keep hold of a talented player at the second level of the defense for the next two seasons but retain some flexibility should he again be struck by the injury bug.
The 49ers will obviously hope Greenlaw remains healthy and, though the full contract terms have yet to be released, the decision to extend him now could prove a very astute one if he stays on the field and performs at the level San Francisco expects in a season where the team’s success may well be driven by the defense.
