The San Francisco 49ers bringing back Dre Greenlaw was always going to be one of the more popular moves they made this offseason.
The reasons behind that are obvious: he’s one of Kyle Shanahan’s favourite players, he has an excellent partnership with Fred Warner, and letting him go was a decision the 49ers likely came to regret internally.
Greenlaw spent one season with the Denver Broncos before returning on a one-year, prove-it deal, which, seven weeks into the new season, has shown he has proven it. And arguably exceeded many people's expectations, too.
Hear me out. Greenlaw's departure, in some ways, made sense. After his Achilles injury in the Super Bowl, he only played two games the following season, and that was somewhat justified given he only played eight games in Denver amid further injury problems.
Ten games in two seasons after rehabbing one of the worst injuries a player can suffer, alongside other injuries, made bringing him back on a one-year deal both sensible and understandable.
Now, the 49ers are heading into the bye week at 6-1 for the season, and Greenlaw has been healthy all season long. The only game he missed came in Week 6, following an altercation when things got a bit too heated against the Seattle Seahawks. He was ejected and received a one-game ban as a result.
Everybody knows how fiery Greenlaw is, and while that decision wasn't the best, even with Seahawks players swarming him, a one-game ban was the appropriate punishment.
With the negatives out of the way, the positives are that he's recorded 49 total tackles, 22 solo and 27 assists, alongside one forced fumble. No sacks, but the statistics are decent all the same.
It's natural to expect him to be slightly off given his injury history, but in some respects, he's exceeded all expectations. He has the second-highest snap count with 287, which is considerably less than the obvious name, but the 49ers are managing his workload well, and the returns are there.
In addition, Pro Football Focus ranks Greenlaw 14th of 75, with an overall defensive grade of 73.3. It's almost halfway through the season, and maintaining that level is the next requirement, but Greenlaw's return to San Francisco is exactly what it would have hoped for when the front office brought him back on a prove-it deal.
A multi-year extension should be on the table. Greenlaw's impact so far has warranted a prolonged second stint in San Francisco.
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