Heading into free agency, the San Francisco 49ers have some serious decisions to make from a team-building perspective, especially when it comes to defense. Will the team prioritize retaining their own players? Or will they look to land some former New York Jets who know Robert Saleh’s scheme?

Unfortunately, all of these decisions may not be the 49ers to make, as, according to Matt Barrow of The Athletic, two of their key free agents may be looking for greener pastures outside of San Francisco: Dre Greenlaw and  Talanoa Hufanga.

“I think the chances are better than not that Dre Greenlaw is gone,” Barrow explained on KNBR. “The same with Talanoa Hufanga.”

A pair of homegrown talents who overcame their draft positions to become legitimate starters for the 49ers D, Greenlaw and Hufanga played key roles for San Francisco in 2023, even if the former didn’t do much in the Super Bowl due to a torn Achilles.

Once considered two of the rising stars of the 49ers’ defense, the presence of Fred Warner, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Malik Mustapha have made the duo expendable if they demand top-of-the-market pay for their on-field contributions. While it would be nice to keep at least Greenlaw, as the 49ers linebacker depth isn’t ideal, Barrow is preparing fans for the worst-case scenario, as it might just come to pass.