San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters on Wednesday, taking a moment to commend linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, two key players recently returning from injuries. Shanahan credited the duo as pivotal to the team's success in recent years and expressed his hope that they remain with the organization.
Greenlaw and Hufanga are set to become free agents, and both could draw significant interest on the open market if the 49ers don't secure new deals for them beforehand.
Shanahan acknowledged that the team will likely consider their injury history when making decisions about their futures. However, he emphasized the two defenders' immense impact on the franchise.
"Those are two of the better players I've been around, and two of the better players on our team, and two of the main reasons we've had the success here we've had," Shanahan said. "Hopefully, we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they're as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I could think of."
Hufanga returned from a wrist injury in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears, with Shanahan noting his immediate impact on the field. Greenlaw followed just four days later, rejoining the lineup and making his season debut against the Los Angeles Rams after recovering from an Achilles injury.
"Huf the person, and his communication, and just having him out there, I think was very inspiring," Shanahan shared. "And then adding Dre the next week, or four days later. One, how good of a player he is and how big of a difference he makes just from that, but the style of how he plays, really adds to our defense and makes everyone else better around him, not just adding a good player."
The statuses of Greenlaw and Hufanga are just one of many critical decisions the 49ers will face in what promises to be an intriguing offseason.