The Kansas City Chiefs might need a new starting middle linebacker come free agency, which begins on March 12.
In a PFF article in which Mason Cameron named the perfect free agent and 2025 draft pick for each franchise, Cameron has the Chiefs signing linebacker Dre Greenlaw as a way to address that potential need.
“The Chiefs don’t have much salary cap space, but they do carry a history of winning to help cut favorable deals in free agency,” Cameron wrote on February 17. “Greenlaw spent much of 2024 recovering from an Achilles injury suffered facing this same Chiefs team in the Super Bowl. With Nick Bolton slated for free agency, Kansas City can aim to play on Greenlaw’s upside on a short-term deal.”
What to Know About Dre Greenlaw
Greenlaw, 27, was a fifth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2019 NFL Draft. As a starter on San Francisco’s defense, Greenlaw has recorded 455 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 14 passes defended in 64 regular season games played, according to Pro Football Reference. In 12 career postseason games, he has registered 72 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
The main reason that Greenlaw might only garner a short-term deal this offseason is because of his injury history. He has had two seasons in which he has missed at least 13 games, one of which was the 2024 season when he played in just two games because of the torn Achilles he suffered against the Chiefs in the 2024 Super Bowl.
No team will likely be willing to give Greenlaw more than a one-year deal, which makes the 2025 season a prove-it year for the veteran.
Spotrac’s calculated market value for Greenlaw is a one-year deal worth $6.7 million.
Does Dre Greenlaw Make Sense for Chiefs?
Greenlaw’s fit with the Chiefs will ultimately come down to what happens with Kansas City’s current starting middle linebacker, Nick Bolton. Bolton is a pending free agent and is projected to be one of the top free agents at his position, with Spotrac calculating his market value at a four-year, $49 million contract.
Because of the Chiefs’ current cap situation, the team will likely have to decide between retraining Bolton or fellow free agent and starting left guard, Trey Smith. Due to the team’s struggles protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the 2025 Super Bowl, it makes sense for the team to retain Smith, who is one of the best in the league at his position. But Smith could get a contract from another team in free agency that far exceeds what Bolton could get. Because of that, the Chiefs could end up re-signing Bolton and letting Smith walk.
In that scenario, there is no need for Kansas City to sign another highly-coveted free agent LB. But if the team does decide to let Bolton walk, signing Greenlaw — who wouldn’t cost the Chiefs very much in 2025 and is a very talented player — makes a lot of sense.
According to Spotrac, the Chiefs have $5.3 million in cap space for the 2025 offseason. However, the team’s cap space could increase if tight end Travis Kelce retires or the team restructures some of the larger contracts on their books.
