Injured whereas trotting onto the sector in Tremendous Bowl LVIII, Dre Greenlaw is coming again. The 49ers will activate the standout linebacker from the PUP checklist Thursday evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. It’ll conclude a 10-month restoration from Achilles surgical procedure, as Greenlaw went down on Feb. 12.
The group had aimed for a midseason return, however Greenlaw noticed his timeline pushed again a bit. A return will now come for a group that has misplaced Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Hargrave for the season and one which has performed with out Nick Bosa and Trent Williams in current weeks. Whereas Fred Warner has been enjoying by means of a fractured ankle, he and Greenlaw will group up once more in time for a vital recreation.
At 6-7, the 49ers most likely can’t afford one other loss if they’re to make a last-ditch push at defending the NFC West title they’ve gained for the previous two seasons. It could already be too late, with the Rams and Seahawks at 8-5, however the group routed the Bears in Week 14 to halt a shedding streak. A more healthy protection will take a shot at toppling a Rams group coming off a shootout win towards the Payments.
Greenlaw, 27, will transition right into a key stretch as effectively. He joins Hufanga and Charvarius Ward as 49ers defensive starters unsigned past this season. The group has Warner locked down, whereas Deommodore Lenoir signed an extension not too long ago.
With a Brock Purdy
payday planned, the 49ers might want to make some sacrifices. Greenlaw could possibly be amongst them. In that case, the subsequent 4 video games would double as an audition for the recovering participant. A free-agency deal, doubtlessly within the realm of the one ex-teammate Azeez Al-Shaair inked in March, could also be within the playing cards if Greenlaw can keep wholesome.
Coming off back-to-back 120-tackle seasons, Greenlaw is enjoying out a two-year, $16.4M contract agreed to during the 2022 season. Regardless of being a fifth-round decide, Greenlaw has labored as a 49ers common at linebacker for many of his profession.
The group has used free-agency addition De’Vondre Campbell on 719 snaps this season. Campbell was added to play alongside Warner whereas Greenlaw recovered. It didn’t appear on the time that the plan was for that setup to final 13 video games, but it surely did. And given how lengthy Greenlaw has been out, it could shock if he was thrust right into a full workload instantly.
This transaction is not going to rely towards the 49ers’ remaining damage activations, as solely gamers moved from IR or the NFI lists again to the energetic roster accomplish that. Nonetheless, the 49ers will throw a extra full model of their protection at a Rams group that has steadily gotten more healthy because the groups’ September assembly.
