49ers players who could stand out in contract year in 2022
By Matt Conner
Dre Greenlaw
Of all of the players on this list, no player is set to deliver the sort of high-impact, contract-year performance as Dre Greenlaw. He already has a history of game-altering plays when the stakes are highest for this defense as it is, but he’s gotta stay on the field in order to silence the doubters at this stage. That’s why the contract year becomes so important.
If you’ve watched the Niners at pivotal moments in recent years, you’ll likely remember at least one or more contributions from Greenlaw—most likely a devastating hit that sealed positive results for San Fran. Now the linebacker is on the verge of his first free agent payday, if only he can stay healthy and productive.
The Niners have already recouped their investment and then some from Greenlaw given that he was originally a fifth-round pick in 2019. He was an 11-game starter in his rookie season and started another 11 in 2020, but a quad injury cost him a couple of games in that sophomore season and health concerns would really surface in 2021 after a groin issue forced him to have surgery after Week 1.
Greenlaw played only 3 total games in 2021 and it seemed as if the team might be ready to move on as Azeez Al-Shaair progressed in his own development with more playing time. However, Greenlaw returned to his typical wrecking ball self in the postseason and showed why he’s such a formidable part of this team’s defensive plans.
Can Greenlaw stay healthy this season? If so, can he be a consistent producer for a team with plenty of other talent at linebacker? If the answers are positive, Greenlaw might make himself a lot of money next season.