Lenoir’s breakout campaign should force 49ers’ hand in offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have paid so many of their homegrown stars over the years, that the Brinks truck should just have its own reserved parking spot at Levi’s Stadium.
With the way cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is playing, they will need it again this offseason.
The fourth-year defensive back, after a strong showing in 2023, is breaking out right in front of the 49ers’ eyes, and the timing could not be better for the former fifth-round NFL Draft pick.
Lenoir recorded an interception, five tackles and one forced fumble in the 49ers’ 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium, continuing a strong campaign that should lead directly into a lucrative unrestricted free agency next offseason.
Barring a sudden change in Lenoir’s play, the 49ers, for the umpteenth time in the coach Kyle Shanahan and president of football operations/general manager John Lynch era, will have to find a way to squeeze in another lucrative contract extension for a homegrown star.
It remains to be seen what the market for corners will look like in the offseason, but there’s a high likelihood Lenoir could surpass veteran teammate and potential free-agent-to-be Charvarius Ward’s average annual value of $13.5 million per season.
If that’s the case, San Francisco likely will be more inclined to pay Lenoir, who is four years young, over Ward, while potentially letting the veteran walk.
The 49ers took a flier on Lenoir, an undersized corner out of Oregon, with the No. 172 pick of the 2021 draft.
His ascension to a starting, lock-down corner wasn’t linear. Far from it, actually. Lenoir was buried on the depth chart in his rookie 2021 season as a rotational corner, at best, before he earned more playing time in the second half of the 2022 season at the nickel position.
He ended up starting all 17 games last season, continuing to impress with his fiery, hard-hitting style of play, before using an impressive training camp this summer to springboard his way into a breakout campaign.
“He’s unbelievable. He came in as a rookie, he was a bit of an airhead, but he has just gotten so much better,” 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said after Sunday’s game. “He’s one of my favorite players that I’ve ever played with. Such a dog and you need guys like that in the back end who aren’t afraid to come in and play the run and then he makes huge plays, he can cover anybody.
“He’s very unselfish. They ask him to do a lot of different things. He can be a lock-down outside corner in this league and they ask him to play inside and he never waivers.”
After intercepting Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes last week, Lenoir recorded his second consecutive game with a pick on Sunday, successfully baiting Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on a roll-out to the left in the third quarter.
“I’m a big film guy, so I’ve seen the formation they were in,” Lenoir said postgame. “I noticed they run that formation a lot. Knew it was an indicator of a sprint-out and I just took my chance and baited the quarterback inside, open shoulder. Picked the ball.”
The high-energy and bubbly Lenoir, cradling his interception ball while speaking with reporters at his locker after the game, spoke candidly about the team’s upcoming Week 9 bye, and admitted that while it’s necessary for the 49ers’ overall health, the break comes at an inopportune time for the young defensive back playing the best football of his career.
“I’m not excited, actually. I want to play again,” Lenoir said. “I guess we need it, we needed the rest. And then Tampa Bay got the Niners off a 10-day [break].”
Lenoir already is itching to get back on the field, but for the next 14 days, he will have to settle for watching the game as a fan. Or, perhaps, playing “Madden NFL 25,” the popular football video game that he seems to believe he deserves a ratings boost in.
When Lenoir and the 49ers do return to the field after the bye week, he expects to continue his success throughout the second half of the season and potentially deep into the playoffs.
And if he does, there is no question he will be rewarded handsomely shortly after.
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