Dre Greenlaw, Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne, and now DeForest Buckner.<\/p>\n
The San Francisco 49ers now have four players who left, either in free agency or via trade, and eventually made their way back to Santa Clara. You might see one or two players return to their original team, but not at the rate the 49ers have.<\/p>\n
There are two ways to look at this. The first is that the 49ers are a first-class organization. While wide receiver Mike Evans wanted to play with Brock Purdy<\/a>, George Kittle sold him on it with all the things the 49ers do differently<\/a>. It was either more modern technology, personalized nutritionists instead of a team nutritionist, or other small things that cost a lot of money and don\u2019t show up on a salary cap sheet.<\/p>\n The second: the grass isn\u2019t always greener elsewhere.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say there aren\u2019t grievances from the 49ers\u2019 returning players. Dre Greenlaw had some choice words for Denver Broncos<\/a> head coach Sean Payton, but it\u2019s not so much an indictment that other teams are worse, just that the 49ers do something right.<\/p>\n Greenlaw left for a three-year, $35 million deal in Denver. This resulted in eight games and a release after one season. A release he felt was handled poorly<\/a>.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Samuel. He was traded to the Washington Commanders and got a crowd-pleasing 17 carries. This is after he averaged around 45 a season over his previous four years with the 49ers. Same player, different usage. The time away was so short that Samuel said he felt like he never left<\/a>.<\/p>\n And finally, Buckner. The latest addition of returning players<\/a>. The Chicago Bears were reportedly interested in the defensive tackle<\/a> in this week\u2019s NFC arms race. Buckner himself wanted San Francisco<\/a>. Reports said Buckner was unhappy with the extension offer<\/a>\u2014which is fair. If there really were burned bridges back in 2020, would he really be gunning to go there? Doubtful.<\/p>\n And that second point is even more valuable for rookies to keep in mind when their contracts expire. Sure, they can go for the big money\u2014and they should\u2014but they also now have three players in the building (minus Bourne, who returned for 2025 only) who went after a better deal or a different role and know what it\u2019s like to leave the 49ers\u2014sometimes frustrated.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t an argument to say players need to take whatever cheap deal the 49ers offer because they are the 49ers. Sometimes letting players go is the 49ers\u2019 mistake. While the 49ers used the savings from Buckner\u2019s deal to extend Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward, the trade itself\u2014a first-rounder from the Indianapolis Colts\u2014backfired because Javon Kinlaw\u2014the pick meant to replace Buckner\u2014did not work out.<\/p>\n It\u2019s helpful for veteran leadership and a talking point for the younger players. The 49ers have had some good drafts both in 2025 and 2026, and those young players can look to three people in the locker room who were drafted by the 49ers, left, and returned\u2014and know what leaving the team is like as well as why they came back. Then they can look to George Kittle, among others, as to why he stayed.<\/p>\n