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.[2] 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 7A2011 state championship. He was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette preseason "Super Sophomore" team in 2012.[3] 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.[4] As a junior, he moved to strong safety.[5] Greenlaw was considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com.[6][7]
Greenlaw played college football under head coaches Bret Bielema and Chad Morris at Arkansas.[8] He recorded 320 total tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles from 2015 to 2018.[9]
Greenlaw made his NFL debut in the season-opening 31–17 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finished with four tackles.[14] During a Week 9 28–25 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football, he recorded four tackles and his first NFL sack on Kyler Murray.[15] In the next game against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, Greenlaw had eight tackles, a pass deflection, and his first NFL interception off of Russell Wilson during the 27–24 overtime loss.[16] The following week against the Cardinals, Greenlaw recorded 10 tackles in the 36–26 victory.[17]
During a narrow Week 14 48–46 road victory over the New Orleans Saints, Greenlaw recorded seven tackles and a pass deflection.[18] Two weeks later Los Angeles Rams, he had a team-high 13 tackles in the 34–31 victory.[19] 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 a 26–21 road victory and securing the #1-seed for the 49ers in the playoffs.[20] Greenlaw credited review from the 49ers' Week 15 29–22 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.[21][22]
Greenlaw finished his rookie year with 92 tackles, two pass deflections, a sack, and an interception in 16 games and 11 starts.[23] He was named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team.[24] The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 13–3 record and qualified for the playoffs.[25] In the Divisional Round against the Minnesota Vikings, Greenlaw had four tackles and a forced fumble during the 27–10 victory.[26] During the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, he recorded six tackles in the 37–20 victory as the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl LIV.[27] In the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, Greenlaw had four tackles during the 31–20 loss.[28]
2020 season
During the season-opening 24–20 loss to the Cardinals, Greenlaw had five tackles and a pass deflection.[29] During a Week 6 24–16 victory over the Rams on Sunday Night Football, he recorded a team-high eight tackles.[30] 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 33–6 road victory.[31] During a Week 10 27–13 road loss to the Saints, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 11 tackles.[32]
Greenlaw finished his second professional season with 86 tackles, a pass deflection, and a sack in 13 games and 11 starts.[33]
2021 season
During the season-opening 41–33 road victory over the Detroit Lions, Greenlaw recorded six tackles and his first NFL touchdown on a pick-six off of Jared Goff.[34] However, on September 18, 2021, Greenlaw was placed on injured reserve after undergoing groin surgery.[35] He was activated on November 27.[36] In the regular-season finale against the Rams, Greenlaw had a team-high 12 tackles in the 27–24 overtime road victory.[37]
Greenlaw finished the 2021 season with 21 tackles, a pass deflection, and a pick-six in three games and two starts.[38] The 49ers finished the season with a 10–7 record and earned the #7-seed in the playoffs.[39] During the Wild Card Round against the Dallas Cowboys, Greenlaw had five tackles in the 23–17 road victory.[40] In the Divisional Round against the Packers, he recorded six tackles and a fumble recovery during the narrow 13–10 road victory.[41] During the NFC Championship Game against the Rams, Greenlaw had three tackles in the 20–17 road loss.[42]
2022 season
On September 18, 2022, Greenlaw recorded a team-high eight tackles in a Week 2 27–7 victory over the Seahawks.[43] The next day, he signed a two-year extension with the 49ers.[44]
During a narrow Week 3 11–10 road loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 10 tackles.[45] In the next game against the Rams on Monday Night Football, he had a team-high 15 tackles during the 24–9 victory.[46] The following week against the Carolina Panthers, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 11 tackles in the 37–15 road victory.[47]
During a Week 10 22–16 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.[48] Greenlaw was later fined $10,609 for the hit.[49] Three weeks later against the Miami Dolphins, he 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 33–17 victory for the 49ers.[50] In the next game against the Buccaneers, Greenlaw had a team-high 15 tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted Tom Brady once in the 35–7 victory.[51] The following week against the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded eight tackles, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble in the 21–13 road victory.[52]
The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 13–4 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #2-seed.[53] 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.[54] During the Wild Card Round, the 49ers defeated the Seahawks by a score of 41–23 behind a strong performance by Greenlaw, who recorded a team-high 11 tackles.[55] In the Divisional Round against the Cowboys, he had six tackles and a pass deflection during the 19–12 victory.[56] During the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Greenlaw recorded nine tackles in the 31–7 road loss.[57] He was ranked 79th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[58]
2023 season
During a Week 2 30–23 road victory over the Rams, Greenlaw recorded a team-high 11 tackles (tied with Fred Warner) and a pass deflection.[59] Two weeks later against the Cardinals, he had a team-high 10 tackles (tied with Warner) in the 35–16 victory.[60] 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 42–10 blowout victory.[61] However, Greenlaw missed the following week's game against the Cleveland Browns after suffering a hamstring injury in practice earlier in the week.[62] He returned in time for the Week 7 matchup against the Vikings on Monday Night Football and recorded 10 tackles during the 22–17 road loss.[63]
During a Week 10 34–3 blowout road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Greenlaw had a team-high eight tackles (tied with Talanoa Hufanga).[64] In the next game against the Buccaneers, he recorded eight tackles, two pass deflections, and 0.5 sacks during the 27–14 victory.[65] The following week against the Seahawks on Thanksgiving, Greenlaw had a team-high eight tackles in the 31–13 victory.[66]
During a Week 13 42–19 road victory over the Eagles, Greenlaw recorded a team-high seven tackles (tied with Ambry Thomas).[67] Three weeks later against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, Greenlaw had a team-high 12 tackles in the 33–19 loss.[68] In the next game against the Washington Commanders, he recorded a team-high 10 tackles during the 27–10 road victory.[69]
Greenlaw finished the 2023 season with 120 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and four pass deflections in 15 games and starts.[70] The 49ers finished atop the NFC West with a 12–5 record and qualified for the playoffs as the #1-seed.[71] In the Divisional Round against the Packers, Greenlaw recorded eight tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions during the 24–21 victory.[72] During the NFC Championship Game against the Lions, he had seven tackles in the 34–31 comeback victory as the 49ers advanced to Super Bowl LVIII.[73] In the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, Greenlaw had three tackles before leaving the eventual 25–22 overtime loss during the second quarter with a left leg injury after he fell over while coming off the sideline.[74] The next day, it was revealed that Greenlaw tore his Achilles.[75] 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.[76]
2024 season
Greenlaw began the 2024 season on the reserve/PUP list while recovering from his torn Achilles.[77]
On December 12, 2024, Greenlaw was activated from the reserve/PUP list.[78] He made his season debut that night against the Rams and finished the 12–6 loss with eight tackles.[79]
On December 26, the 49ers announced that Greenlaw would be shut down for the rest of the season.[80] He finished the 2024 season with nine tackles in two games and starts.[81]
Denver Broncos
On March 13, 2025, Greenlaw signed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Denver Broncos.[82][83] On September 20, he was placed on short-term injured reserve due to a lingering quad injury sustained during training camp.[84] Greenlaw was activated on October 18.[85]
Greenlaw made his Broncos debut during the historic 33–32 comeback victory in Week 7 over the New York Giants, recording six tackles and a hit on Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.[86] Following the victory over the Giants, Greenlaw was suspended by the NFL for one game without pay for running at referee Brad Allen right after Broncos placekickerWil Lutz had successfully hit the game winning field goal.[87]
Greenlaw returned from suspension in Week 9 against the Houston Texans and finished the 18–15 road victory with eight tackles and his first sack of the season on C. J. Stroud.[88] In the next game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football, Greenlaw recorded five tackles and a forced fumble during the 10–7 victory.[89]
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