Lenoir has a big season in front of him where he can earn himself a lot of money—from the 49ers or another team
This season is a big year for a handful of San Francisco 49ers. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is near the top of the list. Lenoir enters the final year of his contract. The former fifth-round pick came into the NFL with little expectations.
Lenoir saw little game action as a rookie, but that changed during his second season. His targets more than tripled. Lenoir went from serviceable in 2022 and improved to a quality starter in 2023. His completion percentage allowed, and yards per target went down while his pass breakups doubled. Lenoir also asserted himself as a run defender, a trait the 49ers covet.
Lenoir joined Tom Pelissero on The Rich Eisen Show just as teammate Brandon Aiyuk broke the news that he requested a trade. Deommodore seemed confident that the Niners and Aiyuk would work a deal out.
The highlight of Lenoir’s segment was a conversation with a quarterback named Tom Brady. Naturally, Lenoir was starstruck. Lenoir recalls Brady scouting him leading up to the 49ers game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
“He let me know that he was actually watching me. He was scouting me and stuff, and he was just telling me to keep going. He was like, ‘You’re going to be a great player.’ That was like a good feeling for me. I was like, ‘This is Tom Brady.’ I’ve been watching him in so many Super Bowls, and just being a Tom Brady fan, it was crazy.”
While Brady was doing his job and watching film, those are the moments players will never forget. Sometimes, all it takes is a one-liner from a Hall of Famer to give you the extra motivation.
The 49ers drafted Renardo Green in the second round to give the insurance and flexibility in the secondary this season. But it wasn’t because they were unhappy with Lenoir. D-Mo gives them the flexibility to play any cornerback position. That’s a luxury and something that he should be rewarded for when it comes to contract negotiations.
It’ll be interesting to see, assuming the 49ers regain their form from previous years, if Lenoir has a stellar season and prices himself out of the Niners range come free agency next year. Would they let him walk in favor of a comp pick?
