PALM BEACH, Fla. — The 49ers have some work ahead to find the linebacker who will line up alongside Fred Warner during the 2025 NFL season.
At the NFL Annual Meeting, both general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the need for someone to step up after the departure of Dre Greenlaw, who signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos in NFL free agency.
The 49ers could look to Dee Winters, who was drafted in 2023, or to Tatum Bethune, who was seen predominantly on special teams during his 2024 rookie campaign.
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“A loss like [Greenlaw], this league is filled with guys who made the most of opportunities, and so there’s opportunities there,” Lynch said. “Dee Winters is somebody who has been mentioned. We like a lot of what Dee does, but he’s got to show that he can fill those shoes and really just be the best version of himself. That’s a high ask to go be Dre Greenlaw right away.”
Shanahan gave a more positive assessment of Winters, who appeared in 15 games with 10 starts in 2024. Winters finished the season playing 398 defensive plays, or 41 percent, recording 44 tackles -- 25 solo -- and four pass breakups.
“I think he showed splashes of that last year,” Shanahan said. “He plays to our style. He loves to run and hit. I think we got a taste of that last year, I think we all did, and now I think he’s working on his body, trying to improve so he can stay healthy and play the way that he does through a 17-game season.”
The 49ers coach was complimentary but remained true to his philosophy that there will be more competition during the offseason for several of the open positions, and that includes linebacker.
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“[Winters] has shown that potential, and we’ll bring in some competition in the draft, hopefully,” Shanahan said. “We’ve got some younger guys, not many that haven’t played. There are going to be a lot of open spots there, and we’ve got some hungry guys who are excited to earn it.”
Bethune, who only was on the field for 51 defensive snaps and 165 on special teams last season, will have a chance to compete for a spot in the lineup.
“If you look at our group they are all in the mix, and I thought Tatum did a good job learning the MIKE linebacker role last year,” Shanahan said. “But you want them to know all the spots, and he’s a guy who is capable of doing all of those spots, and the more reps he gets, the better chance he will get.”
Both Bethune and Winters will have a chance to compete for playing time alongside Warner, who has been the powerhouse in the middle of the field. The coach still would like assurances that there is a backup who can handle the responsibility of playing the MIKE linebacker role if needed.
“I don’t think everyone can play MIKE linebacker,” Shanahan said. “To play the game a certain way and have to make all of those calls and checks, that’s for some people and it’s not for others. So you don’t want to put everyone in that position, but it is important. It’s just like center almost. There’s a lot of stuff you have to deal with, and you have to make sure you have a few people on the team that can do it.
“We’ve been very fortunate on how healthy Fred has stayed and the way he plays that we haven’t had to worry about that too much. It’s a big deal when that MIKE changes.”