The 49ers are heading into training camp with a secondary that still has questions, and Renardo Green is right in the middle of them.
San Francisco spent a second-round pick on Green in the 2024 NFL Draft, and his role grew quickly. He opened his rookie year with seven starts, then took on a much larger workload in 2026, making 14 starts.
But the production didn’t match the opportunity. Green finished with a 53.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade, which placed him 93rd out of 114 qualified corners.
That uneven season has opened the door for competition. The 49ers brought in Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs and rookie Ephesians Prysock this offseason, and that added depth has put Green’s standing in flux.
Cam Inman of the Mercury News reported that Green will enter camp “on the hot seat,” and added that his struggles last season "frustrated coaches." Kyle Shanahan was also seen giving Green an earful during the playoff loss.
There’s still a reason the 49ers haven’t moved on from him. Connor Byrne of Pro Football Rumors pointed to the investment San Francisco made when it drafted Green, writing, "Considering the significant investment they made in Green a couple years ago, it would be ideal for the 49ers if he keeps his starting job and emerges as a ball hawk in 2026," and adding, "That would go a long way in helping San Francisco improve on last year’s paltry INT total (six), which tied for the second-fewest in the league."
A cut this offseason would be a surprise. Losing a starting job would not. The more likely outcome is that Green gets pushed behind one of the veterans if he doesn’t clean things up quickly.
Either way, the 49ers need more from the back end in 2026. San Francisco finished with just six interceptions in 2025, and only one team had fewer. The front office didn’t make a splashy overhaul, choosing smaller moves instead, which suggests there’s still belief Green can turn this around.
In Other News...
J.J. Watt Had The Perfect Response To George Kittle
George Kittle has never been shy about speaking his mind, and his latest gripe landed on a topic plenty of players and fans can understand: the NFLs decision to switch to artificial turf for the World Cup-related setup. The change affects stadium logistics and maintenance in ways that go beyond aesthetics, and Kittle made it clear he is not pleased with the direction the league is taking on the field surface.
J.J. Watt jumped into the conversation with a response that turned the whole exchange into a lighthearted moment between two players who have long shown mutual respect, even while wearing different uniforms. What could have been just another complaint about stadium planning instead became a reminder that the leagues biggest personalities still know how to mix candor with humor, and Kittles reaction only added to the fun. [Read more 🡒]
Deebo Samuel Update Just Changed How Real A 49ers Reunion Felt
Deebo Samuels name keeps circling back into 49ers conversations because the fit, at least on paper, still makes sense. He is a free agent now, and there has been enough speculation about a possible return to San Francisco that it has become more than just idle offseason chatter. The backdrop matters here, too, because Samuels time with the team never really ended on simple terms, and any reunion talk naturally pulls in the history between player and organization.
What makes the latest update worth watching is the sense that the interest may not have been one-sided. Reported frustration over the 49ers moving quickly to sign Mike Evans adds a wrinkle to the possibility of a reunion, and it leaves the door open to wondering how serious either side really is about revisiting the relationship. For a team that has already lived through Samuels trade request and the aftermath, this is the kind of storyline that can linger well beyond the first round of free agency. [Read more 🡒]