49ers quietly extend Dre Greenlaw after he helps with win vs. Seahawks

It’s not common to hear of extension news right after a game, but the 49ers appear to have locked up linebacker Dre Greenlaw for the foreseeable future.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw isn’t going to be the talk of the team in the wake of the Niners’ 27-7 Week 2 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

No, the storyline is going to revolve around second-year quarterback Trey Lance, the ankle injury he suffered early in the game and the latest confirmation by head coach Kyle Shanahan that season-ending surgery will be needed.

And there’ll be plenty of news and reactions to San Francisco ultimately keeping veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this season instead of trading him, too.

However, with all of that going on, some Greenlaw news managed to squeak its way into the postgame reactions.

49ers reportedly ink Dre Greenlaw to a 2-year extension

Even before Shanahan had a chance to speak to the media in the wake of Week 2’s win, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the 49ers were extending Greenlaw to a new two-year deal, keeping him with the team through 2024:

Greenlaw, the Niners’ fifth-round pick out of Arkansas from the 2019 NFL Draft, was scheduled to hit free agency this upcoming offseason. And with San Francisco already paying good money to fellow linebacker Fred Warner, it’s understandable why dishing out more cash to the cheaper Greenlaw might not have been feasible.

Particularly with fellow backer Azeez Al-Shaair’s recent ascent the last two years.

Regardless, Pro Football Focus ranked the 49ers’ linebacker corps as the No. 1 group in this category heading into 2022.

Retaining Greenlaw will make a good measure of keeping the Niners atop that ranking, although it’s unclear whether or not Al-Shaair, also a free agent in 2023, will be able to return on an affordable deal, too.

From the on-field perspective, Greenlaw finished Week 2 with a team-high eight tackles, including one that went for a loss.