49ers QB coach Brian Griese made quite a few headlines with his exit. And surprisingly, there was no juicy drama behind it. He doesn’t want to coach anymore. It’s as simple as that. So, while we’re all waiting to see what’s next for Brock Purdy, there’s some other news to chew on. And no, it’s not about someone leaving, but someone staying. 49ers GM John Lynch has dropped an interesting update about one of Kyle Shanahan’s linebackers. Lynch has also given a sneak peek into the future of a few other stars. So, what’s cooking in San Francisco?

The Niners don’t have much depth at linebacker, so you’d expect them to ensure they don’t mess up any chances with Dre Greenlaw. However, Dre was only activated this season for two weeks as he was recovering from a torn Achilles. But looking at his past seasons, you can tell he is a valuable part of the Niners squad. It could be pivotal to keep him.

So, what does John Lynch have to say about their defensive star? “We’re very interested in having Dre back. Dre should go out and see what’s out there. And we know where we have to be. You know how highly we think of Dre, and we’d love to have him back.”

Letting him test free agency and see what’s out there will undoubtedly hurt the Niners’ chances of getting him back. So, with their LB corps already thin, they need to lock in Dre as quickly as possible. “Hopefully, we come to an agreement. We’ve been having talks so we’ll see. See if we can progress that,” added Lynch. 

For now, the only thing that might be a roadblock to San Francisco offering an extension to Greenlaw is his constant struggle with injuries. The linebacker missed the entire 2024 season because of recovering from injuries. Besides Dre, the Niners GM also gave an update about a few other players approaching free agency.

John Lynch weighs in on the free agency situation

It’s not only Dre Greenlaw and Brock Purdy on the free agency radar. Some other Niners players are in similar waters after this season. So, while there are high chances the Niners will 100 percent lock in Purdy, the future of other players on the team remains uncertain. So, who are these players who may or may not have to pack their bags and leave San Francisco for a new city? 

One of them is Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who has been with the team for eight seasons now. “There’s a lot up in the air—who’s going to be here, who’s not, some contracts that need to be figured out. So, I’m aware of that. I just hope it doesn’t affect me,” Kyle said after their season ended.

But you don’t always get what you hope for. There is no official word on Kyle yet, but Lynch, at the NFL Scouting Combine, said, “We’ll see. We’re thinking of a lot of things right now. We’re trying to make everything work, and [there are] some tighter constraints than we’ve had in the past.“

Talking about RB Jordan Mason, John Lynch told reporters, “You can do the second-round tender, so there are a bunch of different dynamics. Or you can just agree to a deal… Jordan played at a really good level when Christian was out, so we’ll see where that goes.”

Next up, we have placekicker Jake Moody. The 25-year-old holds the record for the longest field goal in a Super Bowl game, which he set against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Yeah, how could anyone forget that nail-biter of a game? Well, Lynch didn’t sound too positive about retaining Moody: “We’ve had really honest discussions with Jake, and I know that’s a hot button. We still have a lot of belief in him, and we believe that the injury had a lot to do with that.“

And lastly, Lynch dropped an interesting tidbit about DE Drake Jackson. “It’s been a tough injury … those quad tendon repairs… So, we’re crossing our fingers and putting in all the work, as is Drake, that that happens.” The USC alum missed the entire 2024 season following patellar tendon surgery. So that might play a major role in how the Niners see his contract. 

All in all, it’s a busy off-season for the 49ers.