The 49ers‘ offseason is starting to feel less like a championship chase and more like damage control. One moment, they had a stacked roster, and the next, it feels like the foundation is starting to crack. Some big names have already walked out the door, and with contract talks getting messy, things aren’t exactly looking stable. First Deebo, now Aiyuk rumors—what’s next for Kyle Shanahan’s roster reset saga?
Free agency was the option to bolster their roster, but they missed out on that too. Most notably? It’s their linebacker, Dre Greenlaw—their former linebacker, to be precise. While the other teams were busy retaining their key players, the 49ers were out there releasing players like it’s a normal day. The result? Well, even before they could re-sign Greenlaw, the Broncos snagged him from right under their nose. The kicker?
Well, Kyle Shanahan and the Niners’ general manager, John Lynch, tried their best to re-sign Greenlaw. Nope, not making that up. That actually happened, and not in the way you’re expecting. In an article from Luca Evans of the Denver Post, Shanahan and Lynch visited Greenlaw’s house in Texas to keep him on their roster. To top that off, the franchise even raised his offer as well.
“That was, like, a last-ditch effort,” Greenlaw’s adoptive dad, Brian Early, told Evans. Guess it was too late for the head coach and the general manager, as the Broncos already signed him. After being drafted by the Niners back in the 2019 NFL draft, the 27-year-old LB spent his first six seasons in San Francisco. BUT!
During the Super Bowl LVIII, the LB fell over after coming off the sidelines and suffered a leg injury, forcing him to skip the remainder of the game. A day later, it was revealed that Greenlaw has suffered a torn Achilles. The result? Greenlaw had to miss out on most of the 2024 season while recovering. Cut to this off-season and the guy entered the free agency market where things got pretty interesting for him.
According to Greenlaw’s Agent J.R. Carroll, Greenlaw sensed an opportunity of “fresh start” in Denver. And here we are. Sean Payton’s team signed him on a three-year $35 million deal and the guy’s all set to start his seventh season for a new team, in a new city. Prior to his Achilles injury, the guy recorded 120 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the 2023 season. Safe to say that the Broncos snagged the right player at the right time.
As for the 49ers… well, they’re trying to figure out contract terms of their players amidst drafting speculations.
Brandon Aiyuk’s contract is a major concern for Kyle Shanahan
This offseason, it’s safe to say that the 49ers didn’t just release players—they practically watched their roster get picked apart like a Black Friday sale. If reports are any true, the team released 16 players while trading Deebo Samuel to the Commanders as well. Cut to the present and looks like the 49ers are finally back in the mood to build their roster. As per the reports, the Niners are hosting South Carolina DL TJ Sanders on a top 30 Visit.
Standing at 6’4” and weighing 300 pounds, Sanders is pretty well-known as a disruptive force in the backfield. It’s still unclear whether the 49ers are interested in drafting him or not, but they could probably look at him in the second or third round. However, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have a lot more todo if they wish to strengthen their roster. And yeah, we aren’t talking about Brock Purdy. Not this time.
The #49ers are hosting South Carolina DL TJ Sanders on a top 30 Visit, per source. pic.twitter.com/KMRRiJlpGQ
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) March 30, 2025
Because, according to the ESPN’s NFL insider, Adam Schefter, the “49ers owe WR Brandon Aiyuk a $22.85 million bonus if he’s on their roster Tuesday, April 1.” Translation? Well, once the 49ers pay that bonus, any trade talks for Aiyuk would be off, and he would be expected to spend the 2025 season in San Francisco.
That means April 1 seems to be an unofficial trade deadline for Aiyuk. To make things even more interesting, see it this way: after signing a 4-year $120 million deal, Aiyuk was supposed to bolster the 49ers’ O-line. However, fate had other plans. The guy injured his ACL and MCL in the last season and missed out on the remainder of the season. To top that off, he isn’t expected to return to the roster by mid-season in 2025.
In that case, Schefter believes that the 49ers should stick to Aiyuk this season. The reason’s pretty simple: no team’s ready to trade for a WR who’s recovering from a knee injury. “At that point in time, you hold onto him for the year,” Schefter explained. “[You] wait for him to get healthy, wait for him to come back and contribute this season on your roster and be the great wide receiver he can be when he’s healthy,” Schefter said.
As per Dr Neal ElAttrache, Aiyuk is coming along, and he’s pleased with his recovery. If all goes well, the guy’s ready to play by mid-season. And yeah, then a few teams might be willing to trade for the 27-year-old wideout.
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