The San Francisco 49ers have a major question mark on defense regarding their pass rush. Nick Bosa is expected to play in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 in Australia.
Nonetheless, apart from the pass rush that’s leaning heavily on Bosa, a Niners reporter sees two other players who need to step up: The reunited linebacker duo of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
After spending last season with the Denver Broncos, Greenlaw returned to the 49ers this past offseason. Now, he and Warner will be looking to pick up where they left off during Greenlaw’s first stint in the Bay Area.
Ahead of the Week 1 game against the Rams, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan explained why these two need to elevate their game for San Francisco to start the season 1-0.
“Nick Bosa is going to play as well, but what does that mean? That means a lot of the responsibility falls on Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw,” Lee Chan said in a Sept. 5 video on her YouTube channel. “Now, this could be a really great thing because they are back together and they communicate without talking.
“But this game, the defense, it really does fall on Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw being back together again… They’re relying on [Bosa] a lot to play edge and get after the quarterback, but really this game relies so heavily on the ability of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw to pick up where they left off from 2024.”
Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw Reignite Chemistry
Moreover, Lee Chan notes that, from what she’s seen in practice, Greenlaw and Warner are picking up where they left off in their chemistry, which bodes well for the Niners’ defense. Still, the main question will be whether they can translate that to a live game.
“They practice well together,” Lee Chan added. “I think they’re communicating well together. It’s just how well can they pull it off here in Australia. They’ve had time to acclimate… Matthew Stafford gets rid of the ball really quickly, which means they’re really going to have to be organized and be on point, not missing tackles. Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner, it all falls on their shoulders.
“Yes, Nick Bosa is going to have to do his job in the middle. And as much as Nick Bosa is out there, he’s going to have to be effective. But with all those moving pieces on the defensive line, it really is Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. It starts with them, and they have to make sure that everybody is on point where they’re supposed to be.”
49ers Get Blunt Outlook From Richard Sherman
With the new season approaching, former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman gave San Francisco a blunt message: They’ll have to be content with fighting for a Wild Card spot, as he doesn’t see the Niners edging either the Rams or Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West title.
“The thing [the 49ers] didn’t do that I was concerned about is that interior offensive line,” Sherman said in a Sept. 1 video from “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “They didn’t strengthen it. You’re about to go against the most dynamic D-lines in the league in LA and Seattle. You’re going to say, ‘Hey, we’ll figure it out as we go?‘ Against Aaron Donald? Against Leonard Williams, against Byron Murphy; that’s what you’re going to go with? That’s the plan?
“The corner depth is a question mark now, and you have no real veteran where you could say, ‘Hey, we just got a solid guy, and they’re going to be searching for that all season.‘ That’s why you can’t put them in the same tier as the Rams and the Seahawks right now. Because of those questions. The Rams and the Seahawks don’t have those kinds of lingering question marks at really pivotal spots.”
49ers’ Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw Get Key Rams Game Message