Dre Greenlaw returns to 49ers as Bryce Huff retires from NFL - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Within minutes of each other, the San Francisco 49ers welcomed back one key defender and said goodbye to another.

On Thursday afternoon, the Niners and linebacker Dre Greenlaw agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, a source told ESPN. Around the same time that deal was struck, 49ers defensive end Bryce Huff, who will turn 28 on April 17, announced his retirement from football via his Instagram account.

Greenlaw's return comes after a one-year detour to the Denver Broncos, where he signed a three-year, $31.5 million deal last March. At the time, the 49ers strongly pursued Greenlaw with coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch taking the rare step of flying to Texas to try to convince him to stay.

But Greenlaw's year in Denver didn't go as hoped. He missed nine games, mostly because of quad and hamstring injuries. One of those absences was due to a suspension stemming from an argument with referee Brad Allen in a Week 7 Broncos win. Greenlaw was released by the Broncos this week.

A fifth-round pick by the Niners in 2019, Greenlaw became a team and fan favorite for his hard-charging, relentless play style. He also struggled to avoid injuries, culminating with a devastating torn left Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII suffered when he was simply attempting to jog back onto the field.

Since then, Greenlaw has appeared in just 10 regular-season games over the past two seasons. Upon his return to the Niners, he figures to slot back into his usual spot at weakside linebacker alongside close friend Fred Warner if he can return close to full health. Dee Winters handled that position in 2025, starting all 17 games with 101 tackles and an interception. NFL Network first reported the