Dre Greenlaw shines as 49ers beat Broncos in emotional revenge game

An emotional reunion on the field

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw brought high energy to Sunday's game against his former team, the Denver Broncos. Greenlaw, who was released by Denver in the offseason, helped guide the 49ers to a 24-14 victory, keeping their season perfect at 4-0.

During the game, Greenlaw was seen pointing and shouting at Denver coach Sean Payton and the Broncos bench. After the final whistle, teammate Fred Warner had to pull Greenlaw away from the opposition sideline. Greenlaw admitted he was 'half blacked out' in the moment but thanked his teammates for keeping him calm.

Leading the defense with top production

Greenlaw did not just bring talk, he backed it up with his play. He led the 49ers defense with 12 tackles. The San Francisco defense limited the Broncos to 4.6 yards per play and 3.7 yards per carry.

His performance was even more impressive because he was questionable to play due to a bruised quad from the previous week. Greenlaw has now recorded 34 tackles and a forced fumble this season, making him the second leading tackler on the team.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he was nervous about Greenlaw's emotions in the first half but praised him for holding his composure and playing an unbelievable game.

The road back to San Francisco

Greenlaw started his career with the 49ers when they drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. He left for Denver in March 2025, signing a three year deal worth 31.5 million dollars. However, his time in Denver was difficult due to quad and hamstring injuries, which caused him to miss eight games.

The Broncos released him on March 12, allowing him to return to San Francisco on a one year deal worth 7.5 million dollars. Denver coach Sean Payton said after the game that he took no offense to Greenlaw's passion, adding that he thinks the world of the linebacker.