San Francisco, CA
Why Dre Greenlaw left San Francisco for Denver, despite the 49ers’ best efforts
Two weeks ago, as the hours ticked away on a decision that’d shape his NFL future, Dre Greenlaw’s adopted father, Brian Early, reminded him of the first time he brought him to a water park.
It was a year or two after the Earlys took in Greenlaw from a foster home in Fayetteville, Ark., and the young man was still getting used to the concept of structure. He was wild back then, as old high school coach Daryl Patton recalled. And on that summer day, the boy climbed up to ride the slides at White Water in Branson, Mo., screaming bloody murder as the current rushed him down.
The screaming wore him out. On the two-hour drive back home, Greenlaw conked out in the backseat. Early’s kids, Avery and Cameron, fell asleep on Greenlaw’s shoulders.
And Greenlaw, dozing happily, was wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.
“Do you remember that?” Early asked him about 12 years later.
“Dude,” grown-up Greenlaw responded, “I do remember that.”
Greenlaw had called Early for advice shortly after NFL free agency erupted in March, two situations in front of him. The San Francisco 49ers wanted him to return after a standout six-year run at linebacker. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, in fact, had flown to Greenlaw’s home in Texas to check in with him, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post.
San Francisco, eventually, had outbid the Broncos, who’d honed in on Greenlaw to revamp the heart of their defense. But the 49ers’ brass only flew out — and their offer only increased — after the Broncos had already come after Greenlaw, sources said.
“That was, like, a last-ditch effort,” Early told The Post.
The Earlys adopted a kid, way back when, who was slow to trust, caught in a foster system that left him in a constant state of flux. That never quite changed. Greenlaw, Early said, has always been fiercely loyal to his teammates and those loyal to him, harboring deep bonds with Shanahan and fellow linebacker Fred Warner in San Francisco.
But he was close, too, with 49ers-turned-Broncos Talanoa Hufanga and D.J. Jones. And as the 49ers parted ways with a slew of pieces in free agency, Greenlaw sensed an opportunity for a “fresh start” with a stacked defense in Denver, agent J.R. Carroll told The Post.
As Early reminded Greenlaw of that serendipitous day at the water park, torn between home in San Francisco and a future in Denver, the linebacker sent his adopted dad a picture of himself at 7 years old. His Little League team was the Broncos. And there Greenlaw was in the photo, even younger, wearing another Broncos jersey.
“He’s like, ‘Man,’” Early recalled, “‘I feel like it’s destiny.’”
•••
Football always brought release. In the days before Greenlaw moved in, Early — then a defensive coordinator at Fayetteville High — regularly picked him up from the group home and took him to Sunday church with the family. Often, when they’d return to drop Greenlaw off, police cars surrounded the facility. Someone had stolen something. Everyone was put on lockdown.
He was hyper, high school coach Patton recalled. He buzzed, with no direction. Greenlaw found it, eventually, between the hashes. He was a different cat, as Warner put it, the 27-year-old Greenlaw long maturing but always the one at the heart of the storm in the 49ers’ pregame linebacker huddle. Slapping helmets. Chanting.
Twelve plays into Super Bowl XVII, in February 2024, Greenlaw was buzzing again. He hopped on the sidelines, once, twice, preparing to take the field in the second quarter against Kansas City. He skipped forward onto turf, one step with his right leg, landing awkwardly.
And he collapsed, holding his leg, in a moment Warner will never forget.
“That was such a traumatic experience for him,” Warner recalled to The Post, “and for everybody involved in the Super Bowl.”
It was a torn Achilles tendon, a potential death knell for a young linebacker’s career. He played all of two games, and a total of 34 snaps, in 2024. Though a complete fluke, it was another strike on a rough bill of health: Greenlaw amassed back-to-back 120-tackle seasons in 2022 and 2023 but has played in just 51% of San Francisco’s possible games across the last four seasons.
Optically, then, a three-year, $31.5 million deal from the Broncos looks like a risk. But for a brief sliver in a Week 15 return against the Los Angeles Rams, before he was shut down amid a lost 49ers season, Greenlaw came out and looked like he “hadn’t lost a step,” Warner remembered. He racked up nine tackles in 30 snaps. He flew, again.
Free-agent suitors were curious, Greenlaw’s agent Carroll recalled, as to why he wasn’t doing offseason rehab. He’d already completed it. And the Broncos did “one of the most extensive medicals a team can do” on Greenlaw before signing him, Carroll asserted.
“In my opinion, he’s just getting started,” Warner told The Post. “He’s still so young in this game. And unfortunately for us (the Broncos) got him at the perfect time, man, where you can expect a lot of great things from him going forward in Denver.”
The odds were stacked firmly against him, back at Arkansas. Before Greenlaw’s freshman season, head coach Bret Bielema told Patton the Razorbacks would probably redshirt him. They didn’t. He had 95 tackles his freshman year.
The odds were stacked firmly against him, back in his first year in San Francisco. The 49ers had just signed linebacker Kwon Alexander to a four-year, $54 million contract. But Alexander endured a rash of injuries, and Greenlaw had 92 tackles his rookie year.
The odds were stacked firmly against him, since nights in that foster home in Fayetteville. The odds have never won, so far.
“You tell him he can’t do it,” Patton said, “you better put money on the opposite.”
•••
At some point, before Greenlaw put pen to paper with the Broncos, Warner called him to talk.
Selfishly, Warner admits, he wanted Greenlaw to stay in the Bay. They’d formed one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL since Greenlaw’s arrival in 2019, a natural complement to four-time All-Pro Warner. They both loved the hunt, Warner emphasized. And they were connected deeper than ball, Warner repeatedly referring to Greenlaw as a “brother of mine.”
“It just looked different when him and I were going after other teams from the second level, and just trying to erase space on the middle of the field,” Warner reminisced to The Post. “He’s, by far, one of the greatest athletes and football players I’ve ever played with, and it was truly an honor to play alongside him.
“I even told him, and I always say, that I would not be the player that I am today without playing alongside Dre Greenlaw.”
Still, Warner didn’t quite oversell Greenlaw on staying. He told him he wanted the best for him, and he had to make his own decision for he and his family — whatever that meant.
“We’ll always be brothers, man,” Warner said. “And I love him to death, and I know he’s going to ball out in Denver for sure.”
San Francisco was home. Greenlaw had spent six years there. Had spent six years with Warner, wreaking havoc.
But he wanted to be a captain, as Early said. And Early, the man who’d watched a wild 15-year-old boy grow into a self-assured man, encouraged Greenlaw to spread his wings.
“Hey, man, you stay in San Francisco, you’re Scottie Pippen,” Early recalled telling Greenlaw. “And Fred Warner is MJ.”
“Go be frickin’ MJ.”
San Francisco, CA
Philadelphia Eagles to play San Francisco 49ers in NFL playoffs. Here’s what you need to know.
The Philadelphia Eagles will begin the playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round next weekend at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Birds (No. 3 seed) had a chance to earn the No. 2 seed with a win, but lost to the Washington Commanders in the regular season finale.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup vs. the 49ers and more.
Which day will the Eagles and 49ers play?
The date and time of the wild-card round matchup between the Eagles and 49ers have yet to be announced, but playoff games are scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Two games will take place Saturday, three will happen Sunday and the final first-round matchup will be on Monday night.
Eagles and 49ers postseason history
The Eagles and 49ers have only met twice in postseason history, most recently in the NFC championship game in the 2022 season.
The Eagles won that game, 31-7, before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. In that game, the 49ers were decimated at quarterback as Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson suffered injuries.
After Johnson exited, Purdy returned to the game in the third quarter, but he was unable to throw the football beyond a few yards. The injuries to San Francisco’s quarterbacks led to the NFL approving a rule change that allows teams to play an emergency quarterback if the starter and backup are injured.
The Eagles are 1-1 vs. San Francisco all-time in the playoffs. Philadelphia’s loss to the 49ers in the playoffs happened in the wild-card round in 1996.
The title game in the 2022 season between the Eagles and 49ers started a rivalry that boiled over into 2023.
In 2023, the 49ers traveled to Lincoln Financial Field in Week 13 and dominated the Eagles, 42-19. The loss started the infamous collapse for the Eagles to end the season as the Birds lost six of the final seven games, including the playoff exit vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The loss to the Niners in the 2023 season also featured Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro and then-49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw being ejected from the game after a scuffle on the sideline.
The Eagles and 49ers haven’t played each other since the 2023 season.
How the Eagles and 49ers got here
The Eagles went 11-6 in the 2025 season and won the NFC East for the second consecutive year, which ended a 20-year stretch of the division not having a repeat winner.
The Niners had a chance to earn the No. 1 seed, but fell to the Seattle Seahawks Saturday night. The 49ers finished the year with a 12-5 record to earn the No. 6 seed.
With a loss against the Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers officially lost the one seed and a chance at a bye week. They will be playing next week, but it’s not quite determined who they will play and when. A few games on Sunday will determine this.
Who the San Francisco 49ers will play in the Wild Card Round
The 49ers will either be the five or six seed. They will be the five if the Los Angeles Rams lose to the Arizona Cardinals. However, if the Rams beat the Cardinals, the 49ers will be the sixth seed in the NFC.
A few notable starters, such as Davante Adams and Kevin Dotso,n will be out, but Matthew Stafford is going to play, and he is competing for the MVP. Arizona has not won a game in a few months their front office would like to lose for draft pick purposes and they are heavy underdogs in this game.
The most likely outcome is that the Rams will be the fifth seed and they will get to face the NFC South winner. Meanwhile, the Bears will take on one of the Philadelphia Eagles or Chicago Bears. While the 49ers beat the Bears and lost to the Bucs, most fans would rather see the Bucs, so the 49ers will be rooting for the Cardinals, even if that is unlikely.
Chicago plays the Detroit Lions, and if they win, they will get the two-seed. That would mean that the Philadelphia Eagles will host the 49ers in the Wild Card Round. If the Bears lose and the Eagles win, the 49ers would head to Chicago to take on the Bears.
Then, if the Bears and Eagles lose, the 49ers would head to Philadelphia. Philadelphia is taking on the Washington Commanders, and they have not won in about as long as the Cardinals. They are also looking at starting Josh Johnson again this week, which should ensure one more loss.
So, with the Rams and Eagles being near locks to win, it will come down to the Bears. The Lions are not bottom dwellers like the other two, and we know Dan Campbell will play to beat the Bears.
Detroit is not quite a playoff team, but they can compete with any playoff team, so they could end up giving Chicago a run for their money. 49ers fans are going to want Detroit to show up and play well. While it is not easy to beat a team twice, with the second being in their home, they would like to avoid the Eagles, who have a defense that can compare to Seattle. We saw what happened against that type of defense.
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The last time the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks met in the regular season with the NFC West on the line, an epic battle came down to a single yard.
It was the last game of the 2019 season. Then-Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw stopped Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister short of the goal line as time expired, sending San Francisco to a 26-21 win and the NFC West division crown, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The 49ers would then go on a postseason run, but lose in Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Six years later, a lot has changed for the 49ers and Seahawks — who square off again Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) — but not the stakes.
The Seahawks (13-3) enter the game in first place of the NFC West and on a six-game winning streak. A win or tie would lock them in for top spot in the division and the conference. They have an NFL-best 14-2 road record since 2024 under coach Mike Macdonald.
The 49ers (12-4) are also on a six-game winning streak — and a seventh would pull them even with the Seahawks in overall record. They’d claim the NFC West crown and No. 1 seed by virtue of a 2-0 record against Seattle.
49ers fans, players gearing up for major rivalry game against Seahawks airing on ABC7
Back in Week 1, the Niners went to Seattle and escaped with a win in the closing moments. Since then, these teams have taken decidedly different paths to the same destination.
Seattle has emerged as one of the league’s most complete teams, led by the second-best scoring defense in the NFL. The Niners have been the opposite, carving a path to the postseason on the strength of a high-octane offense that ranks fifth in offensive points per game and first since Week 9.
Add it all up and the expectation on both sides is for another classic that could come down to the final seconds, if not the final yard.
“We stole one up there, but I think they’re going to be ready for this one,” 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz said. “It’s going to come down to that last couple of plays.”
ESPN’s NFL Nation 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner and Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson break down the matchup with the biggest questions heading into the game, key players and injury concerns for each team.
Can Seattle’s defense get to 49ers QB Brock Purdy?
It’s tempting to ask whether Sam Darnold and Seattle’s offense can finally play a clean game and kick their recent bad habit of slow starts, as they’ve failed to top nine points in the first half in six of their past seven games.
But the unstoppable-force-versus-immovable-object matchup on the other side of the ball is worth watching. No offense has been hotter of late than San Francisco’s (it has scored 40-plus points in each of the past two games), and maybe only one defense — Houston’s — has been better than Seattle’s all season. Macdonald’s unit is allowing the second-fewest points in the NFL at 17.3 per game.
Part of the formula has been relying on their dominant front four — led by 2026 Pro Bowlers Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence — to get to opposing quarterbacks without having to send an extra rusher, instead keeping one more defender in coverage. The Seahawks rank fifth in pressure rate (35.1%) and 27th in blitz rate (20.4%).
Their 44 sacks are eighth most in the NFL, though they’ve only recorded four over their past four games. That is partly due to how quickly Indianapolis Colts’Philip Rivers and Carolina Panthers’Bryce Young got rid of the ball.
Purdy, on the other hand, has averaged the second-longest time before a throw of any quarterback this season at 3.19 seconds. Williams, Lawrence & Co. will need to take advantage of the opportunities Purdy gives them to get home. If San Francisco has to start its backup left tackle, with 12-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams questionable with a hamstring injury, there should be a few.
Seattle’s key players to watch
QB Sam Darnold
The Seahawks are hoping that Darnold can regain the form he showed over the first two months of the season, when he led the NFL in Total QBR (78.2) through 10 weeks. The past seven have been an adventure. Darnold ranks 27th in Total QBR (37.3) since Week 11, committing 10 turnovers in that span. Which is not to say the Seahawks have been winning entirely in spite of him. Two weeks ago, for instance, he played a leading role in their epic comeback against the Rams, coming up clutch in the fourth quarter and overtime. Last week, he made several big-time throws on third down to help Seattle pull away from Carolina.
Darnold has up to $2.5 million worth of contract incentives that he can reach in this game, including $500,000 apiece for throwing three more touchdown passes and 150 more passing yards.
DB Nick Emmanwori
The rookie second-round pick played all of four snaps in the season opener against San Francisco before suffering an ankle injury that sidelined him for the next three games. Since returning, he has developed into an almost-every-down playmaker, a versatile weapon and one of the leading candidates for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Emmanwori lit up the scouting combine with a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 43-inch vertical jump at 6-3 and 220 pounds. That blend of size and athleticism allows him to play all over the field — sometimes lining up on the line of scrimmage, or across from slot receivers. He’s an X factor that Seattle’s defense didn’t have the first time it faced the 49ers.
Stat to know
Wide receiverJaxon Smith-Njigbais having a historic season for the Seahawks. His 1,709 receiving yards and 113 receptions are franchise single-season records. He is 91 yards shy of becoming the seventh player in NFL history to record 1,800 receiving yards in a season.
Smith-Njigba is a downfield threat, leading the NFL in receptions and yards (683) on passes 20-plus yards downfield this season. His 974 yards on passes thrown outside the numbers this season is 222 more than the next-closest player.
Injury concerns
The Seahawks could be down to their third-string left tackle, undrafted rookie Amari Kight. They ruled out starter Charles Cross and have listed Josh Jones as questionable. Jones has filled in capably for Cross the past two games, but he suffered knee and ankle injuries against Carolina that kept him from practicing Tuesday and Wednesday before he returned Thursday as a limited participant.
The Seahawks’ defense will likely be without safety Coby Bryant, who’s doubtful with a knee injury that also sidelined him last week. The good news there is that Ty Okada has been an unsung hero this season while making nine starts for Julian Love and one last week for Bryant.
Another piece of good news for the Seahawks: Wide receiver and kick returner Rashid Shaheed cleared concussion protocol this week after leaving last week’s game against the Panthers.
Best thing I heard in the Seahawks’ locker room this week:
“We know they’re a good offense and we’re a good defense. Saturday is going to speak for itself. I’m not going to lip-box y’all to death about what we’re going to do or not. I’m just going to get out there … and play Saturday. Let us go, let our defense roll and let our pads do the talking Saturday night.” — defensive tackle Jarran Reed
Last time the Seahawks won the NFC’s No. 1 seed
It has happened three times in franchise history. Not coincidentally, those were the three times the Seahawks made the Super Bowl.
The most recent was in 2014, the year they came a yard away from claiming their second straight Lombardi Trophy. The Seahawks went 12-4 in the regular season before beating Carolina in the divisional round and then Green Bay in overtime in the NFC Championship Game, after they improbably erased a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes.
The Seahawks went into the final weekend of the 2019 season with a chance to claim the No. 1 seed with a win and some help. But by the time they kicked off against the 49ers, it was no longer in play for Seattle. So this will be the first time since 2014 in which the top seed will truly be on the line for the Seahawks in their regular-season finale. — Henderson
Will San Francisco’s defense step up and force turnovers?
Absent star defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, the Niners’ defense has struggled mightily down the stretch, particularly when facing more efficient offenses. While Seattle’s defense is the better side of the ball, the offense has been no slouch despite some late-season hiccups.
But the Seahawks also have a penchant for giving the ball away. Seattle has 28 turnovers this season, second most in the NFL with Darnold responsible for a league-high 20 of those.
Those giveaways have become even more common in the past seven games, as Darnold has 10 turnovers in that span. It’s why a hot start that had Darnold — who spent the 2023 season with the 49ers as Purdy’s backup — in the MVP conversation has given way to observers wondering if he can do enough to guide an otherwise well-rounded team on a deep playoff run.
The Niners’ defense, meanwhile, has made its living this season off limiting explosive plays, forcing field goal attempts and coming up with the occasional fourth-down stop or red zone turnover.
Aside from that, though, there hasn’t been a whole lot of resistance from Robert Saleh’s patchwork unit. And taking the ball away is probably second only to pass rush in areas the Niners would like to improve defensively.
San Francisco is tied for 22nd in takeaways this season with 16 and has had none in seven of its 16 games. Coincidentally, it was a late-game forced fumble from Bosa that clinched San Francisco’s Week 1 win against Seattle.
There will be no Bosa to bail the Niners out this time. The numbers suggest Seattle will give someone else a chance to make that key play that could win the game, but it’s still fair to wonder who on the Niners’ defense will be the one to capitalize when that opportunity arises.
49ers’ key players to watch
QB Brock Purdy
There’s a case to be made that Purdy is playing the best ball of his still young career. Since returning from a toe injury in Week 11, Purdy has thrown 16 touchdowns with five interceptions and added three rushing scores. He’s not qualified because of time missed, but if he was, Purdy’s 77.8 QBR would lead the NFL.
Like Darnold, Purdy has had turnover troubles, and Seattle’s defense is a difficult challenge. But if he can take care of the ball, there should be opportunities for another big day.
CB Deommodore Lenoir
Lenoir has not shied away from trash-talking anyone but that’s especially true when it comes to the Seahawks. Lenoir has fully embraced this rivalry and even fired shots at Smith-Njigba, Seattle’s star wideout, in March. He doubled down on that this week, asking to shadow JSN on Saturday night.
“Man-to-man coverage, me and him,” Lenoir said. “That’s what I want.” The Niners are unlikely to grant that request because of how they’d have to change their defense elsewhere but, after sharing his thoughts, Lenoir will be in the crosshairs if and when Seattle targets him.
Stat to know
Running back Christian McCaffreyhas shown what makes him a dual threat in the passing and rushing games again this season. His 17 total touchdowns are tied for third most by a Niner in a season. He is on pace to average 50 rushing yards per game and 50 receiving YPG in a season for the third time in his career.
McCaffrey’s 116.4 career scrimmage YPG is the third most in NFL history (min. 100 games) after Hall of Famers Jim Brown (125.5) and Barry Sanders (118.9).
Against the Seahawks he can further cement himself in history. He needs five receptions to pass LaDainian Tomlinson (624) for the third-most catches by a running back in NFL history.And he needs four receptions to reach 100 for the season and become the first Niner since Terrell Owens in 2002 to hit the century mark.
Injury concerns
The Niners could be without left tackle Trent Williams because of a right hamstring injury. He’s listed as questionable, and though coach Kyle Shanahan said Williams has made “good progress,” Williams said “we’ll see” when asked if he will be available. Austen Pleasants, who fared well against Chicago last week, would make his first NFL start if Williams can’t play.
As for George Kittle, who sat out last week against the Chicago Bears with an ankle injury, he said he “absolutely” expects to play versus the Seahawks, but was officially listed as questionable.
Best thing I heard in the 49ers’ locker room this week:
“We never really thought that ‘Hey, man, we’ve got to go attack the No. 1 seed.’ It was always we’ve got to go take on whoever we’re playing on Sunday and win that game. And so, this is just where we’re at at the end of the year. We’re very grateful for that, to be in this opportunity and situation. But, we can talk all we want. We have to go do it at the end of the day.” — Purdy
Last time the 49ers won the NFC’s No. 1 seed
The 49ers surged to the NFC’s top seed in 2023 when they finished 12-5 and won the NFC West division. Including that year, each of the previous two times the Niners had the No. 1 seed under Shanahan they’ve advanced to the Super Bowl. — Wagoner
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