Luke Gifford promises to give 49ers’ No. 57 back to returning Dre Greenlaw
Luke Gifford promises to give 49ers’ No. 57 back to returning Dre Greenlaw originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
One of the 49ers’ biggest signings during the NFL’s free-agency period is the return of fan-favorite Dre Greenlaw.
San Francisco officially signed the 28-year-old linebacker to a one-year contract on Friday, reuniting Greenlaw with the team that drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
On Saturday, the 49ers then announced that the team is re-signing linebacker Luke Gifford to a two-year deal following a 2025 campaign that earned him the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.
With San Francisco securing both linebackers for the 2026 NFL season, who will end up wearing the No. 57 jersey on the team?
“Guys don’t worry… 5-7 is all Dre,” Gifford said on Instagram, replying to the 49ers’ post about his re-signing.
“Respect my guy, I got you for Christmas,” Greenlaw replied to Gifford’s comment.
Based on this agreement, it looks like Greenlaw once again will be donning the No. 57 jersey with the 49ers after being released from the Denver Broncos this offseason.
The 6-foot, 230-pound linebacker spent the 2025 season in Denver, where he recorded 53 combined tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception in eight regular-season and two playoff games.
Greenlaw spent the first six seasons of his NFL career in San Francisco, where his best years were in 2022 and 2023, recording 247 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, 10 passes defended, eight tackles for loss and one interception in 30 games during that time span.
Meanwhile, Gifford had a tremendous 2025 season, starting in nine regular-season games at strong-side linebacker and being a valuable contributor with the special teams unit, where his 20 tackles from that phase of the team were tied for the sixth-most in the NFL.
Regardless of which jersey numbers these two linebackers will wear, both Greenlaw and Gifford are expected to be major contributors in defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ squad during the upcoming season.