A recent social media post by Mikaela Gallagher, Dre Greenlaw's fiancé, hinted that the couple's time in the Bay Area might be coming to an end. However, this week, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch emphasized the team's interest in retaining the linebacker.
"I know about his want to be here, and I know our want to have him here," Lynch said. "... There's realities and there's tough decisions and so many factors to all those things, but believe me, the desire on both sides is there."
Despite the uncertainty, one 49ers insider, NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, believes Greenlaw will stay with the team for at least one more season.
"What I think is going to happen is I think he's going to be back," Maiocco shared on KNBR, a Bay Area radio station.
Maiocco explained that Greenlaw's recent injury history could impact his market value in free agency, limiting interest from other teams.
"I don't know that any team would say, 'Oh, let's go get him. Let's go pay him a lot of money,' because the guy had the Achilles injury throughout the 2023 season," Maiocco explained. "He ruptures it in the Super Bowl. And then, when he came back, he clearly wasn't right and could only play one half of one game.
"And so, I would think that the market for Dre Greenlaw is going to be the 49ers, who want him back but also are quite cognizant of his physical condition, so I can't imagine they're going to pay him top dollar and a multi-year contract."
Maiocco speculated about potential suitors but remained skeptical about significant outside interest. He mentioned the Tennessee Titans, who previously had ties to the 49ers through former general manager Ran Carthon, as a possibility. However, The team recently fired Carthon.
Maiocco also floated the Houston Texans, where head coach DeMeco Ryans, the 49ers' former defensive coordinator, might value Greenlaw. There's also the Washington Commanders, with general manager Adam Peters, who served on Lynch's 49ers staff.
"So I just don't know that there's going to be a huge market for Dre Greenlaw because how much time did we spend this season talking about injuries?" Maiocco asked. "And the last thing teams want would be to go out and sign a free agent who has a history of injuries."
That ultimately led to Maiocco's prediction.
"My guess would be that Dre Greenlaw comes back to the 49ers on probably a one-year kind of prove-it deal to try to get his body right and then try to take another bite at the apple in free agency next year," he concluded.
You can listen to Maiocco's entire interview below.
