8 former 49ers who will be available in free agency (and 4 who may return)

Former 49ers available in free agency: LB Kwon Alexander

Former 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander was not on the team for a long time. Prior to the 2019 season, he signed a four-year, $54 million deal with San Francisco.

He ended up only playing in 17 games for the 49ers over the course of two seasons before being traded to the New Orleans Saints.

He did a solid job for the team in 2019 even though a torn pectoral kept him out for half of the regular season. He was able to return in the postseason, but in his absence another linebacker emerged: Dre Greenlaw.

Greenlaw was a rookie at the time and filled in for the injured Alexander. He did a fantastic job and proved that he could join Fred Warner as the future at the linebacker position. Plus, he had one of the most consequential regular season tackles in NFL history when he stopped the Seattle Seahawks in their tracks at the goal line and secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the 49ers.

Of course, with Greenlaw's tragic injury in the Super Bowl, the 49ers may now be in the market for a linebacker especially with their other linebackers outside of Fred Warner being free agents.

Alexander is coming off a season-ending Achilles tear just like Greenlaw. While Alexander's injury occurred in November so he has had longer to recover, the 49ers may want a guy who is not coming off such a serious injury to fill in for Greenlaw.

That brings us to the next former 49er on the list who makes a lot of sense as a player the team could reunite with.