As NFL free agency approaches, the San Francisco 49ers have more interesting decisions to make than most of their counterparts.

Because the 49ers were a Super Bowl contender for much of the last half-decade, they have a lot of talent on their roster. And a lot of that talent is hitting the open market this spring, each player with a different set of circumstances.

On defense, the 49ers’ most notable free agents are safety Talanoa Hufanga, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and linebacker Dre Greenlaw. All three have played like stars at some point in the past few seasons, but all three have also overcome recent hurdles.

Unfortunately, Greenlaw suffered a torn Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs, halting a dominant playoff run that was helping gain him star recognition. After returning for two games in 2024, he’s hoping for a fresh start next season.

Newsday’s Tom Rock recently speculated that Greenlaw could get that chance in the AFC South. Rock predicted Friday that the Houston Texans would sign the seven-year veteran thanks to his relationship with DeMeco Ryans, the team’s head coach and San Francisco’s old defensive coordinator.

“After suffering one of the oddest injuries (he tore his Achilles while jogging onto the field during Super Bowl LVIII) and playing just a little over a half of football in 2024, Greenlaw should be just about ready to return to his place as one of the league’s most productive linebackers,” Rock wrote. “His old position coach, DeMeco Ryans, knows what he can do.”

Greenlaw, 27, averages 121 tackles per 17 games in his NFL career to this point. He also has just a 6.0% career missed tackle rate. He’s garnered a spot in the NFL’s Top 100 Players list in each of the past two seasons (number 76 in 2024).

Spotrac projects just a one-year, $7 million contract for Greenlaw, though his play before the injury would have easily warranted a multi-year deal. It will be interesting to see not only if he lands in Houston, San Francisco, or elsewhere, but whether he improves on that contract.

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