The San Francisco 49ers are trade-happy right now. After swinging two trades to get out of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night, on Wednesday they swung a trade with the Dallas Cowboys that sent linebacker Dee Winters to Dallas in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.
It's a big bet from general manager John Lynch on the health of Greenlaw and one that he had better hope pays off.
Greenlaw has played in just 10 games over the last two seasons. He played in eight games with the Denver Broncos last season and just two with San Francisco in 2024 as he was coming off the heartbreaking Achilles injury he suffered in the Super Bowl.
He's about to turn 29 years old, and with how hard and ferociously he plays the linebacker position, it would not surprise anyone if he missed at least a couple of games this upcoming season.
Winters is not elite by any stretch of the imagination, but he showed some promise in his first full season as a starter. He did have a huge pick-six against the Indianapolis Colts and was compared to Greenlaw at times, but the Niners already have a lot of depth at linebacker which is why he was expendable as soon as the Niners brought Greenlaw back.
San Francisco still has Garret Wallow, Nick Martin, Luke Gifford, and Tatum Bethune, so if Greenlaw does go down, it'll have serviceable players to fill in as needed. Plus, as long as the 49ers have a healthy Fred Warner out there he can make up for the deficiencies of a less-talented linebacker playing beside him.
Maybe there's a chance the Niners could draft another linebacker as well. Martin was banged up and did not do much in his rookie season, so if the Niners aren't sold on him, they could try to bring in another guy and see if he has any potential.
If Lynch's gamble pays off, though, and Greenlaw stays healthy, looking like the guy he was at his best with San Francisco, then the payoff could be huge. Having Warner and Greenlaw as enforcers in the middle of the field is such a weapon, so hopefully, Greenlaw can stay on the field.
Greenlaw already sounded pumped up at voluntary offseason workouts on Monday, so he is clearly excited to be back with San Francisco.
Let's hope Lynch's bet on Greenlaw does not backfire, though, otherwise the Winter trade may end up being a mistake.
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