Ke'Aundre J'Quan Greenlaw (born May 25, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft. Greenlaw has also played for the Denver Broncos.
Greenlaw grew up in group homes and shelters in Arkansas from the age of eight. At age 14, he met Brian Early, the defensive coach for Fayetteville High School. The Early family invited Greenlaw to live with them and formally adopted him at age 21.
Greenlaw attended Fayetteville Public Schools, playing for a Fayetteville High School football team that won the Class 7A 2011 state championship. He was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette preseason "Super Sophomore" team in 2012. Greenlaw started at cornerback, recording 53 total tackles, two forced fumbles, five pass deflections, and an interception on a team that repeated as 7A state champions. As a junior, he moved to strong safety. Greenlaw was considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com.
Greenlaw played college football under head coaches Bret Bielema and Chad Morris at the University of Arkansas. He recorded 320 total tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles from 2015 to 2018.
Greenlaw was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft. He was drafted after the 49ers traded linebacker Dekoda Watson to acquire the 148th pick.
Greenlaw made his NFL debut in the season-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finished the 31âÂÂ17 road victory with four tackles. During a Week 9 28âÂÂ25 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football, he had four tackles and his first NFL sack on Kyler Murray. In the next game against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded eight tackles, a pass deflection, and his first NFL interception off of Russell Wilson during the 27âÂÂ24 overtime loss. The following week against the Cardinals, Greenlaw had 10 tackles in the 36âÂÂ26 victory.
During a narrow Week 14 48âÂÂ46 road victory over the New Orleans Saints, Greenlaw recorded seven tackles and a pass deflection. Two weeks later Los Angeles Rams, he had a team-high 13 tackles in the 34âÂÂ31 victory. In the regular-season finale against the Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, Greenlaw once again recorded a team-high 13 tackles and made a critical stop on tight end Jacob Hollister inside of the one-yard line on the final play of the drive, sealing the 26âÂÂ21 road victory and securing the #1-seed for the 49ers in the playoffs. Greenlaw credited review from the 49ers' Week 15 29âÂÂ22 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, which ended in a similar scenario where wide receiver Julio Jones was barely able to break the plane into the endzone, for giving him the correct technique to hit Hollister high.
Greenlaw finished his rookie year with 92 tackles, two pass deflections, a sack, and an interception in 16 games and 11 starts. He was named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team. The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 13âÂÂ3 record and qualified for the playoffs. In the against the Minnesota Vikings, Greenlaw had four tackles and a forced fumble during the 27âÂÂ10 victory. During the against the Green Bay Packers, he recorded six tackles in the 37âÂÂ20 victory as the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl LIV. In the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, Greenlaw had four tackles during the 31âÂÂ20 loss.
During the season-opener against the Cardinals, Greenlaw had five tackles and a pass deflection in the 24âÂÂ20 loss. During a Week 6 24âÂÂ16 victory over the Rams on Sunday Night Football, he recorded a team-high eight tackles. In the next game against the New England Patriots, Greenlaw had six tackles and his first sack of the season on Cam Newton during the 33âÂÂ6 road victory.
During a Week 10 27âÂÂ13 road loss to the Saints, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 11 tackles. During Week 14 against the Washington Football Team, he had a team-high seven tackles in the 23âÂÂ15 loss.
Greenlaw finished his second professional season with 86 tackles, a pass deflection, and a sack in 13 games and 11 starts.
During the season-opening 41âÂÂ33 road victory over the Detroit Lions, Greenlaw recorded six tackles, a pass deflection, and his first NFL touchdown on a pick-six off of Jared Goff. However, on September 18, 2021, Greenlaw was placed on injured reserve after undergoing groin surgery. He was activated on November 27. In the regular-season finale against the Rams, Greenlaw had a team-high 12 tackles during the 27âÂÂ24 overtime road victory.
Greenlaw finished the 2021 season with 21 tackles, a pass deflection, and a pick-six in three games and two starts. The 49ers finished the season with a 10âÂÂ7 record and earned the #6-seed in the playoffs. During the against the Dallas Cowboys, Greenlaw had five tackles in the 23âÂÂ17 road victory. In the against the Packers, he recorded six tackles and a fumble recovery during the 13âÂÂ10 road victory. During the against the Rams, Greenlaw had three tackles in the 20âÂÂ17 road loss.
On September 18, 2022, Greenlaw recorded a team-high eight tackles in a Week 2 27âÂÂ7 victory over the Seahawks. The next day, he signed a two-year, $19 million extension with the 49ers.
During Week 3 against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 10 tackles in the narrow 11âÂÂ10 road loss. In the next game against the Rams on Monday Night Football, he had a team-high 15 tackles during the 24âÂÂ9 victory. The following week against the Carolina Panthers, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 11 tackles in the 37âÂÂ15 road victory.
During a Week 10 22âÂÂ16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Greenlaw had a team-high seven tackles before being ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert near the end of the second quarter. Greenlaw was later fined $10,609 for the hit. In the next game against the Cardinals at Estadio Azteca on Monday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded nine tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection during the 38âÂÂ10 victory. The following week against the Saints, he had six tackles, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection in the 13âÂÂ0 shutout victory.
During Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, Greenlaw recorded a team-high eight tackles and a pass deflection while also recovering a Tua Tagovailoa fumble forced by Nick Bosa and returning it for a 23-yard touchdown to secure a 33âÂÂ17 victory for the 49ers. In the next game against the Buccaneers, Greenlaw had a team-high 15 tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Tom Brady once during the 35âÂÂ7 victory. The following week against the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded eight tackles, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble in the 21âÂÂ13 road victory.
The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 13âÂÂ4 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #2-seed. Greenlaw finished the 2022 season with a career-high 127 tackles, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception, and a defensive touchdown in 15 games and starts. During the against the Seahawks, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 11 tackles in the 41âÂÂ23 victory. In the against the Cowboys, he had six tackles and a pass deflection during the 19âÂÂ12 victory. During the against the Philadelphia Eagles, Greenlaw recorded nine tackles in the 31âÂÂ7 road loss. He was ranked 79th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.
During a Week 2 30âÂÂ23 road victory over the Rams, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 11 tackles (tied with Fred Warner) and a pass deflection. Two weeks later against the Cardinals, he had a team-high 10 tackles (tied with Warner) in the 35âÂÂ16 victory. In the next game against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded five tackles, a pass deflection, and his first sack of the season on Dak Prescott during the 42âÂÂ10 blowout victory. However, Greenlaw missed the following week's game against the Cleveland Browns after suffering a hamstring injury in practice earlier in the week. He returned in time for the Week 7 matchup against the Vikings on Monday Night Football and finished the 22âÂÂ17 road loss with 10 tackles.
During Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Greenlaw had a team-high eight tackles (tied with Talanoa Hufanga) in the 34âÂÂ3 blowout road victory. In the next game against the Buccaneers, he recorded eight tackles, two pass deflections, and 0.5 sacks during the 27âÂÂ14 victory. The following week against the Seahawks on Thanksgiving, Greenlaw had a team-high eight tackles in the 31âÂÂ13 road victory.
During a Week 13 42âÂÂ19 road victory over the Eagles, Greenlaw recorded a team-high seven tackles (tied with Ambry Thomas). Three weeks later against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, he had a team-high 12 tackles in the 33âÂÂ19 loss. In the next game against the Washington Commanders, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 10 tackles during the 27âÂÂ10 road victory.
Greenlaw finished the 2023 season with 120 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and four pass deflections in 15 games and starts. The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 12âÂÂ5 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #1-seed. In the against the Packers, Greenlaw recorded eight tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted Jordan Love twice during the 24âÂÂ21 victory. During the against the Lions, he had seven tackles in the 34âÂÂ31 comeback victory as the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl LVIII. In the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, Greenlaw had three tackles before leaving the eventual 25âÂÂ22 overtime loss during the second quarter with a left leg injury after falling over while coming off the sideline. The next day, it was revealed that he tore his Achilles tendon. Prior to the tear, Greenlaw missed the regular season finale as his Achilles was beleaguered with an infection, but Greenlaw stated that he would still play through it on a part-time basis when the 49ers ventured through the playoffs. Greenlaw later had successful surgery on his torn Achilles.
Greenlaw began the 2024 season on the reserve/PUP list while recovering from his torn Achilles.
On December 12, 2024, Greenlaw was activated from the reserve/PUP list. He made his season debut that night against the Rams and finished the 12âÂÂ6 loss with eight tackles.
On December 26, the 49ers announced that Greenlaw would be shut down for the rest of the season. He finished the 2024 season with nine tackles in two games and starts.
On March 13, 2025, Greenlaw signed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Denver Broncos. On September 20, he was placed on short-term injured reserve due to a lingering quad injury sustained during training camp. Greenlaw was activated on October 18.
Greenlaw made his Broncos debut during the historic Week 7 33âÂÂ32 comeback victory over the New York Giants, recording six tackles and a hit on rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Following the victory, Greenlaw was suspended by the NFL for one game without pay for running at referee Brad Allen right after Broncos placekicker Wil Lutz had successfully made the game winning field goal.
Greenlaw returned from suspension in Week 9 against the Houston Texans and finished the 18âÂÂ15 road victory with eight tackles and his first sack of the season on C. J. Stroud. In the next game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded five tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection during the 10âÂÂ7 victory. Three weeks later against the Commanders, he had five tackles, an interception, and a pass deflection in the narrow 27âÂÂ26 overtime road victory. Greenlaw missed the last two games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury.
Greenlaw finished the 2025 season with 43 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and two pass deflections in eight games and seven starts. The Broncos finished atop the AFC West with a 14âÂÂ3 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #1-seed. In the against the Buffalo Bills, Greenlaw had four tackles during the 33âÂÂ30 overtime victory. During the against the Patriots, he recorded six tackles in the 10âÂÂ7 loss.
On March 9, 2026, it was announced that Greenlaw would be released by the Broncos. Three days later, he was officially released with a post-June 1 designation.
On March 13, 2026, Greenlaw signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract to reunite with the 49ers.