49ers shut down star linebacker Greenlaw for rest of season

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers and linebacker Dre Greenlaw appear to be in agreement on one topic. Now, the 49ers hope to be able to come to terms with Greenlaw on a deal in the offseason. Coach Kyle Shanahan on Thursday said Greenlaw will not play in the 49ers' final two games of the regular season. "He understood," Shanahan said of Greenlaw. Greenlaw sat out the first 13 games of the 2024 season coming off a torn left Achilles tendon, which he sustained in the Super Bowl. In his first game back, he played half of the game before leaving with discomfort in his knee. On Sunday, he played just four snaps before leaving with a calf strain against the Miami Dolphins. The 49ers wanted to shut down Greenlaw for the final two games, but they also wanted Greenlaw to be completely on board with the decision. After all, Greenlaw is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. He might have wanted to finish the season on the field to make a case for a sizable free-agent contract. Linebacker Fred Warner, a close friend of Greenlaw, suggested after Sunday's game that sometimes Greenlaw needs to be protected from himself. He said Greenlaw is always going to want to play even when he...