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49ers Want To Re-Sign S Talanoa Hufanga, LB Dre Greenlaw

December 20th, 2024 at 12:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

As injuries have harpooned a 49ers NFC title defense for the second time in five years, the team’s offseason becomes more relevant. The 49ers extended Deommodore Lenoir earlier this season but still has several starters moving toward free agency.

The Lenoir extension probably sends Charvarius Ward back to the market, but the 49ers are not closing the door on re-signing two other impending free agent defenders. The team is interested in retaining both Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw. Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much.

[RELATED: Assessing Brock Purdy’s Extension Candidacy]

“Those are two of the better players I’ve been around and two of the better players on our team and two of the main reasons we’ve had the success we’ve had,” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows (subscription required) “So hopefully we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they’re as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I can think of.”

For what it’s worth, Shanahan offered a similar sentiment regarding Ward this summer. With Lenoir signed and Renardo Green on track for a bigger 2025 role, Ward is almost certainly heading elsewhere come March. The 49ers also have guard Aaron Banks set to hit the market. Barrows does not place a high likelihood on Banks being back, either, as the 49ers have not been big on guard payments under Shanahan; this year’s guard market also showed how high prices can rise for proven starters. As for Hufanga, Barrows views a return as being squarely on the radar.

The markets of both Hufanga and Greenlaw figure to be impacted by the injuries each has battled. Hufanga sustained an ACL tear in November 2023 and then missed much of this season due to a wrist issue, one that still has him in a cast. Greenlaw suffered one of the more untimely injuries in NFL history, at least as it pertained to his team’s championship chances, tearing an Achilles while trotting onto the field in Super Bowl LVIII. Both players are off IR now, however, and can boost their markets by playing well for a 6-8 team over the final three games.

A 2021 fifth-round pick, Hufanga impressed during a 2022 position battle to replace Jaquiski Tartt and earned first-team All-Pro acclaim months later. The 49ers showed how much they value Hufanga this season, redeploying him despite the cast. That said, Ji’Ayir Brown and fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha have been the team’s primary safeties this season. Both are tied to rookie deals, each’s running beyond 2025. The 49ers want to keep Hufanga, but Barrows does not make it sound like they would compete with a booming market. Then again, beyond Xavier McKinney and Jessie Bates, safeties have not generated booming markets in recent offseasons. That would boost San Francisco’s retention chances.

San Francisco has run into a much more difficult time replacing Greenlaw. Its 2024 plan infamously combusted last week, with De’Vondre Campbell refusing to enter the Rams game and walking off the field. The 49ers have suspended the linebacker, whom John Lynch confronted during the strange sequence. The since-banned ‘backer had started to refuse to play during the second quarter, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer notes, adding that Lynch then sent him to the locker room. Shanahan also said (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) the team had one other linebacker — after Eric Kendricks, who backtracked on a 49ers pledge to join the Cowboys — ahead of Campbell in their free agency pecking order.

Campbell, however, became the pick and proved a downgrade on Greenlaw. The latter has been Fred Warner‘s primary sidekick since his 2019 rookie season. While Greenlaw accepted a two-year, $16MM extension in 2022, he is likely to finish this season unsigned. We mentioned recently a deal in the ballpark of ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair (three years, $34MM) could be in play should Greenlaw stay healthy to close out the year; Barrows also mentioned that as a comp. Greenlaw and Al-Shaair are each 27, though the 49ers consistently played Greenlaw in front of the now-Texans linebacker.

The 49ers’ plans to pay Brock Purdy the quarterback going rate will complicate their free agency strategy as well. That will make the Greenlaw and Hufanga markets more interesting. A potential either/or situation may form with this duo, but it does appear clear the 49ers are not planning to let either walk without negotiations commencing first.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/24

December 17th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad updates from around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/24

December 17th, 2024 at 9:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from the around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Rams

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

After another round of injuries in Week 15, the Lions signed Pittman off the Jaguars’ practice squad to bolster their linebacker room. The five-year veteran appeared in just one game for Jacksonville this season, which coincidentally came against the Lions in Week 11. Pittman has primarily played special teams in his NFL career and will continue that role in Detroit.

The Raiders will be without Robinson for the rest of the season after he received a three-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

The 49ers placed Thomas on injured reserve after initial roster cuts, but never designated him to return. He is “now healthy and, as a former third-round pick out of Michigan, is expected to garner interest,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thomas appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, in San Francisco, but never developed into a consistent starting corner as the team hoped.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 17th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

This NFL season saw several teams slip out of contention quicker than usual, slimming wild-card races and expanding the pursuit for the No. 1 overall pick. Two teams now lead that race.

While no prospect on the Caleb Williams level is dangling for the Raiders and Giants, an interesting showdown has formed. With three weeks to go, the Giants would currently hold the top 2025 draft choice. But based on projected strength of schedule, the Raiders would win the tiebreaker if the results held. The team with the weaker overall strength of schedule would win that. The Giants still have a game against the 12-2 Eagles, while the Raiders’ upcoming matchup with the 3-11 Jaguars works in their favor.

The Giants have not held the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1967-present), last making a choice atop a draft in 1965 (running back Tucker Frederickson). Their Eli Manning trade occurred after the Chargers had chosen the quarterback to start the 2004 draft. The Raiders have held the top pick once in the common draft era, famously choosing JaMarcus Russell to start the ’07 draft. Both teams have coaches fighting for their jobs, but each also has seen All-Pros (Dexter Lawrence, Maxx Crosby) removed from equations. Losers of 10 straight, the Raiders follow their Jaguars matchup with games against the Saints and Chargers. The Giants, who have dropped nine consecutive games, go Falcons-Colts-Eagles to close the season.

Five 3-11 teams sit behind the Raiders and Giants presently, with the NFL having nine teams who have already lost double-digit contests. If a Giants or Raiders win occurs, there are candidates to move toward pole position in what could be races for Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Though, a non-Giants or Raiders team finishing in the top two creates a bit more intrigue, as both those clubs are in dire need of QB help.

With an eye on teams’ projected strength of schedule based on current records, here is how the draft order looks with three games to go:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
  2. New York Giants (2-12)
  3. New England Patriots (3-11)
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
  5. Carolina Panthers (3-11)
  6. Tennessee Titans (3-11)
  7. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
  8. New York Jets (4-10)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-10)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
  11. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
  13. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)
  14. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)
  15. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
  16. Atlanta Falcons (7-7)
  17. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
  19. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
  21. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
  22. Washington Commanders (9-5)
  23. Denver Broncos (9-5)
  24. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
  25. Houston Texans (9-5)
  26. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
  27. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (12-2)
  29. Buffalo Bills (11-3)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2)
  31. Detroit Lions (12-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)

49ers Suspend LB De’Vondre Campbell

December 16th, 2024 at 8:20am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 16: The 49ers will indeed move forward with a suspension, Rapoport reports; the move is now official. Campbell will be out for the final three contests of the season, and he will forfeit his game checks for that period in addition to any potential lost signing bonus money. Given San Francisco’s decision not to waive Campbell, he will turn his attention to free agency this spring where his value will have obviously taken a notable hit.

DECEMBER 15: The 49ers signed De’Vondre Campbell to work as a stopgap during Dre Greenlaw‘s recovery from Achilles surgery. That run lasted 13 games, with the longtime starter not making his season debut until Thursday. But Greenlaw did not make it through his opener unscathed, leading to one of the stranger situations any team has encountered this season.

Campbell refused a fourth-quarter assignment to come in on defense, instead walking to the 49ers’ locker room during the team’s 12-6 loss to the Rams. This obviously angered teammates, and Kyle Shanahan confirmed Campbell is done with the team. The 49ers, however, are not expected to waive the veteran defender immediately. Instead, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates a suspension will likely come first.

If the 49ers suspend Campbell, they can recover part of his $3.35MM signing bonus. A refusal to play constitutes a forfeitable breach of contract, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes, opening the door to San Francisco going after part of the bonus. This avenue will make it somewhat costly for Campbell, who signed a one-year, $5MM deal in March — after Eric Kendricks backtracked on a 49ers commitment to join the Cowboys.

This action would only lead to Campbell losing $234K, per Florio, should the 49ers ban him for one game. Four void years are included in Campbell’s contract, spreading out the bonus. That will limit what the 49ers can go after, but they look likely to do what is possible to reduce Campbell’s compensation. This move will also prevent him from catching on elsewhere and bouncing back immediately. Considering the anger Campbell’s refusal to play caused in the locker room, the team preventing a smooth exit makes sense here.

Campbell, 31, having to pay back a portion of a bonus already sent to him would mark an ignominious ending for him in San Francisco — and perhaps as an NFLer altogether. The Falcons drafted Campbell during Shanahan’s second season as their OC, giving the current 49ers HC some familiarity with a player who had started for Atlanta, Arizona and Green Bay. The Packers re-signed Campbell to a five-year, $50MM deal after his first-team All-Pro season in 2021.

Campbell made it through two years of that contract, as Green Bay moved on this offseason. Considering the way it ended for him in San Francisco, it would not surprise if other teams pass on allowing the former second-rounder the opportunity to end his career on a better note.

OL Notes: Bolles, Chiefs, 49ers, Texans, Jags

December 15th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a second time, the Broncos allowed Garett Bolles to play deep into a contract year before extending him. After the sides previously reached an extension agreement in November 2020, Bolles inked his second Denver extension days before the team’s Week 15 game. Talks did not begin until recently. The sides did not begin to discuss a new deal — one Bolles had begun to lobby for back in 2023 — until after the Broncos’ win over the Browns, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. While Bolles held Myles Garrett without a sack, the Broncos’ upcoming bye week presumably had more to do with the timing of the negotiations.

Bolles is now the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid left tackle. Like recently extended edge rusher Jonathon Cooper, he may well have done better by reaching free agency. But Bolles wanted to stay with the team that drafted him back in 2017. The four-year, $82MM contract includes $23.7MM guaranteed at signing and features a similar guarantee structure to the one Mike McGlinchey secured. If Bolles is on Denver’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, his 2026 base salary becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. As the Broncos have part two of Russell Wilson‘s dead money due in 2025, they have predictably backloaded Bolles’ deal. This is a rather extreme effort, as five void years (through 2033) are attached to this deal. Bolles will count $5.8MM on Denver’s 2025 cap and just $9.2MM in 2026; the cap hits balloon past $20MM after that.

Here is the latest from the NFL’s O-line situations:

  • Unable to find a reliable left tackle since letting Orlando Brown Jr. leave in 2023, the Chiefs are going with an emergency plan today. With recent signee D.J. Humphries declared out due to a hamstring injury he sustained in his Kansas City debut, the Chiefs are kicking Joe Thuney to left tackle. The left guard saw time at LT against the Raiders, who were besting second-year blocker Wanya Morris. Rather than go with Morris, the Chiefs are using Thuney at LT and backup Mike Caliendo at LG, per ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher. This will cut into the Chiefs’ elite inside trio, but with the team seeing Patrick Mahomes hit with more frequency in recent weeks, it will use this patchwork adjustment to stem the tide. A 2023 UDFA, Caliendo is making his first career start.
  • On the same note, the Texans are making a change. Right tackle Tytus Howard is moving back to left guard, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Both center Juice Scruggs and left guard Kenyon Green are out. As a result, Howard will return to the position he primarily played last season. Howard has shuffled between tackle and guard as a pro; prior to his 812-snap 2024 at RT, he played all 408 of his 2023 snaps at LG. Second-round pick Blake Fisher is in at RT.
  • Trent Williams‘ recovery from an ankle injury has proven “a lot” slower than the 49ers expected, Kyle Shanahan said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). The team is not ruling him out for the rest of the season. That said, San Francisco is now 5-8; shelving the All-Pro the rest of the way would make sense. Williams, 36, secured significant guarantees via a September reworking. He has not indicated a 2025 return will commence, but his through-2026 contract contains enticements to come back.
  • The Bears should be likely to be shoppers to fortify their O-line’s interior in 2025, with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs rating that area atop the team’s list of needs. Chicago whiffed on Nate Davis and devoted low-end money to center. Left guard Teven Jenkins is a free agent-to-be who has not engaged in substantive extension talks.
  • Like Bolles, Walker Little secured an extension recently. The Jaguars revealed their long-term left tackle plan, post-Cam Robinson, by signing Little to a three-year, $40.5MM extension. The first two years of Little’s deal are fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. That comes out to $25.94MM. Although his 2027 salary is nonguaranteed, the 2021 second-rounder did well on the guarantee front as he bypasses free agency.

Kyle Shanahan Addresses LB De’Vondre Campbell’s Refusal To Play In Week 15

December 13th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

10:20pm: Shanahan said on Friday (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) the team is still working out exactly how Campbell’s situation will be dealt with. He made it clear, however, that Campbell will not play again for the 49ers.

9:25am: Week 15 marked the return of Dre Greenlaw to the 49ers’ lineup, but the team’s linebacking corps dealt with injuries partway through the game. Greenlaw and Dee Winters were forced to exit the contest, opening the door for De’Vondre Campbell to step into the lineup.

Campbell informed head coach Kyle Shanahan he would not enter the game, however. In the fourth quarter, Campbell departed San Francisco’s sideline and headed to the locker room. As one might expect, the team’s coaches and players have not reacted positively to the developments.

“People noticed, but when someone says that, you move on,” Shanahan said after the 49ers’ 12-6 loss (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football. That’s pretty simple. I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that, so we don’t need to talk about him anymore.”

Shanahan added the team will “figure out something” when asked if Campbell will be cut in the wake of his decision. San Francisco started the year shorthanded at the linebacker spot with Greenlaw rehabbing his Super Bowl Achilles tear, and a deal was in place with Eric Kendricks during free agency. Kendricks backed out and ultimately signed with the Cowboys, however, something which led to Campbell being targeted. The former Packers All-Pro took a one-year deal to operate as the 49ers’ weakside LB starter while Greenlaw recovered.

Over that span, Campbell was indeed a key starter on defense, logging a 90% snap share. The 31-year-old totaled 79 tackles through 13 games, second on the team behind only Fred Warner. As expected, though, Greenlaw handled first-team duties in his return before being forced to exit with a knee issue. With Winters also unavailable and Campbell declining to play, San Francisco turned to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles to close out the game alongside Warner.

Campbell is attached to a veteran minimum base salary, so if he were to be placed on waivers interested teams could add him as an inexpensive depth option for the closing weeks of the season. If the 49ers prefer to keep him in the fold, a suspension could be in order (similar to the Ravens’ Diontae Johnson situation). In any event, it will be interesting to see how the team proceeds.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/24

December 12th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from around the NFL:

Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

49ers To Activate LB Dre Greenlaw

December 12th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the 49ers will not be confused with a healthy team going into their pivotal Rams rematch, they did see Talanoa Hufanga return last week. The team now will see the other key defender who has missed most of this season back at work.

Injured while trotting onto the field in Super Bowl LVIII, Dre Greenlaw is coming back. The 49ers will activate the standout linebacker from the PUP list tonight, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. It will conclude a 10-month recovery from Achilles surgery, as Greenlaw went down on February 12. Greenlaw’s activation is now official.

The team had aimed for a midseason return, but Greenlaw saw his timeline pushed back a bit. A return will now come for a team that has lost Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Hargrave for the season and one that has played without Nick Bosa and Trent Williams in recent weeks. While Fred Warner has been playing through a fractured ankle, he and Greenlaw will team up again in time for a crucial game.

At 6-7, the 49ers probably cannot afford another loss if they are to make a last-ditch push at defending the NFC West title they have won for the past two seasons. It may already be too late, with the Rams and Seahawks at 8-5, but the team routed the Bears in Week 14 to halt a losing streak. A healthier defense will take a shot at toppling a Rams team coming off a shootout win against the Bills.

Greenlaw, 27, will transition into a key stretch as well. He joins Hufanga and Charvarius Ward as 49ers defensive starters unsigned beyond this season. The team has Warner locked down, while Deommodore Lenoir signed an extension recently. With a Brock Purdy payday planned, the 49ers will need to make some sacrifices. Greenlaw could be among them. In that case, the next four games would double as an audition for the recovering player. A free agency deal, potentially in the realm of the one ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair inked in March, may be in the cards if Greenlaw can stay healthy.

Coming off back-to-back 120-tackle seasons, Greenlaw is playing out a two-year, $16.4MM contract agreed to during the 2022 season. Despite being a fifth-round pick, Greenlaw has worked as a 49ers regular at linebacker for most of his career. The team has used free agency addition De’Vondre Campbell on 719 snaps this season. Campbell was added to play alongside Warner while Greenlaw recovered. It did not seem at the time that the plan was for that setup to last 13 games, but it did. And given how long Greenlaw has been out, it would surprise if he was thrust into a full workload immediately.

This transaction will not count against the 49ers’ remaining injury activations, as only players moved from IR or the NFI lists back to the active roster do so. Nevertheless, the 49ers will throw a more complete version of their defense at a Rams team that has steadily gotten healthier since the teams’ September meeting.

49ers Not Changing Aim Of Signing Brock Purdy To Long-Term Deal

December 10th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Evidenced further by the events of this offseason, quarterbacks possess unrivaled leverage. Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love rose to the top of the NFL’s salary hierarchy for a period, joining Joe Burrow on that perch without similar accolades. Dak Prescott then smashed through that ceiling to a watershed contract, using unique leverage against the Cowboys to secure the league’s current highwater deal.

As we discussed at a few points this year, teams are not taking a chance of passing on paying a second-tier (or lower) quarterback a top-market rate. The 49ers have seen Brock Purdy become a revelation since being the last pick in the 2022 draft, with Kyle Shanahan‘s pieces operating at their best with the former Iowa State prospect at the controls. While Purdy has not been confused with a top-tier talent, he has been effective since Jimmy Garoppolo‘s December 2022 foot injury gave him the keys to a high-powered offense.

[RELATED: Assessing Purdy’s Extension Candidacy]

The 49ers are not planning to be the team that passes on a QB payment to seek a lower-cost alternative, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating they are indeed eyeing a long-term Purdy extension. The sides cannot begin true negotiations until January, but it appears another 49ers offseason contract saga — this one perhaps the most complicated — is on tap.

49ers CEO Jed York said early this offseason that the team was preparing for a future with Purdy on a high-end contract. In the months since, the NFL has seen five more QBs surpass $50MM AAV. Prescott soared to $60MM per year, inking that deal hours before the Cowboys’ season opener. Purdy, 24, does not carry the leverage Prescott did — a bargaining position secured due to Dallas’ previous contractual dealings with its QB — but he does play by far the sport’s most important position. That proved a sufficient weapon for Lawrence, Love and Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. Still, some rumblings around the league pointed to forthcoming hesitancy on the 49ers’ part. Thus far, no such trepidation exists.

Even as Purdy is not being mentioned as a Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes peer in terms of abilities, he has done quite well to keep the 49ers’ machine humming. Last year’s QBR leader ranks sixth in that metric this season, doing so despite Brandon Aiyuk going down before midseason and Christian McCaffrey barely factoring into the year. Trent Williams has also missed recent games. While Purdy will check in with worse numbers than his strong 2023 season, he has proven more on the field than Lawrence or Love to enter high-stakes negotiations. Purdy has also been a better run-game threat compared to 2023, totaling 282 rushing yards thus far this year after accumulating 144 in 16 games last season.

The 49ers, however, also could use Shanahan’s QB-friendly system against their current starter once negotiations commence. The prospect of jettisoning Purdy — or even delaying a payment — due to the impact Shanahan and the talent around him have made on the QB’s career could be part of the talks, but it does not sound like the 49ers are seriously considering a pivot from Purdy once he commands a lucrative extension.

The team that entered long-running talks with Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa and Aiyuk over the past three years will now be tasked with hammering out a megadeal for a player it chose with the final pick in the draft. San Francisco’s upcoming negotiation promises to be the most interesting of the bunch.

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