The San Francisco 49ers are about to embark upon an offseason in which they need to address some key needs if they want to remain relevant in the incredibly tough NFC West.
Perhaps bringing back some familiar faces could be part of that effort.
There has already been some chatter of Deebo Samuel returning to the 49ers as he is now a free agent. In fact, 49ers tight end George Kittle fanned those flames himself recently.
Deebo may not be the only ex-Niner who the team could reunite with.
A recent article in The Athletic speculated on whether the Denver Broncos may decide to cut ties with linebacker Dre Greenlaw in a cost-cutting measure.
Greenlaw played in just eight games for Denver last season due to injuries and played in just two for San Francisco the year before that. He is a guy who plays hard and is always banged up, but the Niners know how having him on the field can transform the defense.
The question is whether bringing Samuel and Greenlaw back into the fold would actually make the roster better. Samuel is age 30 now and Greenlaw is 28. Both players have been through a lot of wear and tear and do not possess the same speed they did earlier in their careers.
Probably the only way the Niners would be interested in bringing them back is if it was on the cheap. The 49ers already gave Samuel a big contract that he did not live up to, so they would only want him back in the building if it was on an affordable deal.
Samuel was not atrocious last season with the Washington Commanders. He had 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns, which was better than the numbers he put up in 2024 with the Niners. But still, that production likely warrants a one-year contract rather than a multi-year deal.
The same can be said for Greenlaw. In his eight games with Denver, he had 43 combined tackles, one interception, one sack, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. Those are decent numbers, but given his injury history, San Francisco would want to get him at a discount.
The Niners could feel good if they brought Greenlaw back at an affordable price because Dee Winters took a big step forward in 2025. So even if Greenlaw misses time, Winters could step in.
If San Francisco brought back Samuel, that cannot be the only move it should make at receiver. The 49ers need an infusion of speed at that position so whether that is via trade, the draft, or free agency, they need a burner out there, and Samuel could be second, or ideally third, on the depth chart.
It's always fun to bring back popular players, but if the Niners did reunite with Samuel and Greenlaw, they'd have to be smart about it.