49ers alternate for Cowboys’ DT Osa Odighizuwa (0:55)
Reduce Wagoner experiences on the San Francisco 49ers procuring and selling with the Dallas Cowboys for defensive fashion out Osa Odighizuwa. (0:55)
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Reduce WagonerMar 12, 2026, 04:15 PM ET
- Reduce Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Reduce has lined the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously lined the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the firm, Reduce has led ESPN’s protection of the Niners’ 2019 and 2023 Tidy Bowl poke, Colin Kaepernick’s squawk, the Rams making Michael Sam the fundamental openly homosexual participant drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster jam and the crew’s relocation and stadium saga.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Within minutes of every other, the San Francisco 49ers welcomed encourage one key defender and said goodbye to 1 more.
On Thursday afternoon, the Niners and linebacker Dre Greenlaw agreed to a one-year deal rate as much as $7.5 million, a offer advised ESPN. All the intention thru the an identical time that deal modified into struck, 49ers defensive discontinue Bryce Huff, who will flip 28 on April 17, announced his retirement from soccer by his Instagram memoir.
Greenlaw’s return comes after a one-year detour to the Denver Broncos, the save he signed a three-year, $31.5 million deal last March. On the time, the 49ers strongly pursued Greenlaw with coach Kyle Shanahan and frequent supervisor John Lynch taking the rare step of flying to Texas to grab a explore at to persuade him to preserve.
However Greenlaw’s year in Denver didn’t lunge as hoped. He sat out 9 video games, mostly attributable to quad and hamstring injuries. A fashion of absences modified into attributable to a suspension stemming from an argument with referee Brad Allen in a Week 7 Broncos collect. Greenlaw modified into released by the Broncos this week.
A fifth-spherical decide by the Niners in 2019, Greenlaw turned a crew and fan favourite for his laborious-charging, relentless play fashion. He additionally struggled to preserve remote from injuries, culminating with a devastating torn left Achilles tendon in Tidy Bowl LVIII suffered when he modified into merely attempting to lag encourage onto the self-discipline.
Since then, Greenlaw has seemed in finest 10 traditional-season video games over the previous two seasons. Upon his return to the Niners, he figures to suit encourage into his traditional jam at weakside linebacker alongside shut buddy Fred Warner if he can return shut to chunky health. Dee Winters dealt with that draw in 2025, starting all 17 video games with 101 tackles and an interception. NFL Network first reported the Niners-Greenlaw reunion.
Although Greenlaw’s return bolsters the Niners linebacker corps, Huff’s departure creates one more need for pass-poke assist at defensive discontinue.
In a 3½-minute video posted to social media, Huff announced his retirement, thanked of us that helped him along the methodology in his run and then supplied well-known facets on the alternate he plans to originate up in the next chapter of his lifestyles.
Huff entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis, signing with the Current York Jets in 2020. He loved a breakout fourth season below then-Jets coach Robert Saleh, posting 10 sacks and 21 quarterback hits in 2023.
That manufacturing landed Huff a three-year, $51 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in free company, despite the undeniable fact that he didn’t match into Vic Fangio’s defensive plot. The 49ers traded for Huff last offseason, reuniting him with Saleh in San Francisco.
For the Niners, Huff had 30 tackles, four sacks and 15 quarterback hits in 15 video games in 2025.
“Through all of it, I realized something,” Huff said in the video. “Football has been my entire life. I’ve played ever since I was 4 years old, but at 27 years old, I know I’m capable of giving the world more than just football. The game taught me perseverance. It taught me discipline. It taught me how to lead and how to find a way forward when things feel impossible. Now it’s time for the next chapter of my life.”
Huff’s resolution to retire comes one day sooner than he modified into due a $1 million roster bonus and sooner than the Niners would maintain to resolve on a $14.635 million choice bonus sooner than the originate up of the 2026 season. Huff’s retirement will set the Niners $5.392 million against the salary cap, in response to OverTheCap.
To originate up his post-soccer lifestyles, Huff announced that he is planning to devote his time to a firm called Naberstone that specializes in “building safety infrastructure” to assist strive against the fireplace threat associated with lithium-ion batteries.
“I can’t ask the people who believe in this mission to go all-in if I’m not willing to do the same,” Huff said. “Football gave me everything, and now it’s time for me to give everything to something new. To the game of football and everybody who believed in me and supported me along the way: Thank you.”
