The Denver Broncos reportedly reached a three-year deal with former San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga on Monday afternoon.
Hours later, news broke that Hufanga’s now-former 49ers teammate Dre Greenlaw will be be joining him. Per NFL Network, Greenlaw will sign a three-year, $35 million contract with Denver. The six-year veteran linebacker has played his entire NFL career with the 49ers.
Per ESPN, Hufanga’s deal is worth up to $45 million and includes $20 million in guaranteed money. Hufanga has played his entire four-season NFL career with the 49ers and was named All-Pro in 2022.
The 49ers also informed nine-time Pro-Bowl fullback Kyle Juszcyk that they’re releasing him, according to ESPN. Juszcyk, 33, is a 12 season NFL veteran and wants to continue to play, according to the report.
The addition of Greenlaw and Hufanga in Denver bolsters an already stout Broncos defense that ranked third in points allowed last season and features Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II in the secondary.
For the 49ers, their collective exit marks the end of an era for a standout defense that helped lead them to a Super Bowl appearance after the 2023 season. The departure of Juszcyk, who played nine seasons in San Francisco as a fan favorite, further signals the move to a new era.
Can Talanoa Hufanga regain his All-Pro form in Denver? (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
In his second season and first as a full-time starter in 2022, Hufanga earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors after tallying 97 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, five quarterback hits, four interceptions, nine passes defended, two forced fumbles and an interception returned for a touchdown. It was a breakout campaign for a player the 49ers selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft.
In his last relatively healthy season in 2023, Greenlaw was second on the team with 120 tackles in addition to 1.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, four quarterback hits and four passes defended in 15 games.
Both players have been limited by injuries in recent seasons. Greenlaw suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in San Francisco’s Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2023 season. He was limited to just two games in the 2024 season.
Hufanga’s been limited by injuries to a total of 17 games in the last two seasons (10 in 2023, seven in 2024). He suffered a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season, then suffered torn wrist ligaments early in the 2024 campaign. He returned from the wrist injury to start San Francisco’s final five games last season. He failed to record a sack, force a turnover or defend a pass in seven 2024 games.
The 49ers ultimately lost both in free agency. The Broncos will sign both with the hope they can stay healthy and upgrade a defense that’s already one of the NFL’s best.
