When news broke that linebacker Dre Greenlaw was returning to the San Francisco 49ers on a one-year deal, it didn’t take long for that emotion to spill out. Social media lit up, especially from star linebacker Fred Warner, who didn’t hide just how much this reunion meant after years of building something special together. Even during a recent conversation with wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Warner made it clear this isn’t just hype or nostalgia. It’s a belief that comes from knowing exactly what they can be together and the kind that has the rest of the league paying attention again.

“Yeah, no, it’s bad, bro. It’s bad for you.” Warner said to Kupp on the podcast, The Real Ones, “Bad for old Matthew [Stafford], man. Bad for everybody going forward because you just know when it’s different when you have such a rapport and like a connection with somebody, man.”

Warner’s warning to Stafford and the rest of the league isn’t without reason. At their peak, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw weren’t just productive; they were the foundation of the defense. From 2019 through 2023, the two consistently led the 49ers in tackles, finishing first and second on the team, respectively, year after year. Their impact didn’t go unnoticed either.

Heading into the 2023 Super Bowl, Pro Football Focus ranked Warner as the top linebacker in the league over three years, with Greenlaw right behind him in fourth – numbers that reflect just how dominant they were together. Now, Greenlaw has signed a one-year, $6 million deal to return to San Francisco, the team that originally drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He’s coming back after spending last season with the Denver Broncos. In Denver, Greenlaw played just eight games due to injury. Even so, he recorded 43 tackles, a sack, and an interception, and finished 34th in the PFSN LB Impact Meter during that stretch. Talking about their chemistry, Warner was appreciative of their understanding of the field.

“Every single time I’ve played with Dre for like the seven years we played together, is there’s an unspoken language on the field where I don’t have to turn to him and be like, hey Dre, look for this or we’re moving together in unison like and it was just so easy because we we just had this great vibe with one another,” Warner added. “It allows you to play even more freely.”

Greenlaw and Warner played together for six seasons in San Francisco from 2019 to 2024. During that time, Warner earned four Pro Bowl selections.

Notably, in the one season Warner played without Greenlaw after he was drafted in 2019, Warner suffered a dislocated and broken ankle in Week 6 during a 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The injury needed a season-ending surgery, and he ended up playing only six games with 51 tackles.

Last season, however, the 49ers’ defense wasn’t as effective, partly due to injuries to some of their key players, including Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, and Warner. The defense ended up ranking 20th in the 2025 NFL rankings.

Currently, with Greenlaw back on board and Raheem Morris taking up the role of defensive coordinator, it seems the 49ers are aiming to put together a strong defense unit to push them towards a possible Super Bowl title.

And it’s clear Warner isn’t the only one excited; he also made sure to praise Greenlaw’s impact on him.

Fred Warner hypes up Dre Greenlaw ahead of 49ers comeback

With Greenlaw back on the team, Warner made it clear he’s the kind of player anyone would love to line up with.

“Dre is one of the best athletes I’ve been I’ve ever played with on a field,” Warner said in the same podcast video clip. “So ferocious and relentless in the way that he plays the game, and you just love playing with guys like that who just are willing to give it up.”

Greenlaw has battled several injuries during his time with the 49ers and only managed to play a full season as a rookie. Still, whenever he was on the field, he made a big impact. Over his time with the team, he appeared in 64 games with 56 starts, recording 455 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions.

This also isn’t the first time Warner has spoken highly of him. In a previous interview, when asked who the toughest player he’s ever played with was, he didn’t hesitate.

“Dre Greenlaw. Hands down,” Warner said in an interview on This is Football with Kevin Clark. “You talk about somebody who has the pure dog in him. Pure wolf. He’s got it… I knew when I lined up next to him, we were good, and I was set. Cause I knew I had a guy who was in the exact same frame of mind that I was, and we could go to battle every single time we stepped out there.”

His respect for Greenlaw is genuine. Having a person by your side who is as aggressive as you are is a huge factor, and that is exactly what Warner feels with Greenlaw. In fact, Greenlaw, too, posted an old practice photo of himself and Warner, along with the caption “Home is where the heart is!!!!”

Now, both Warner and Greenlaw are together, and the 49ers have it again.