49ers Starter Drops Major Injury Update After Brutal End to 2023 Season

Getty San Francisco 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw

For the San Francisco 49ers, the recovery of star linebacker Dre Greenlaw may be one of the most important parts of the offseason. Greenlaw has been a force of nature for the Niners over the past five years, but is recovering from an Achilles tear suffered in the 2024 Super Bowl.

On May 16, Greenlaw provided an update on his recovery during an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. While the linebacker still has a lot of work in front of him, he is already making tangible progress.

“It’s a long slow process, I’m, feeling really, really good though,” Greenlaw said. “I’m happy to be able to walk on the stage actually. It’s been about three months since the injury, I just recently got out the boot. Just slowly every day rehabbing, getting the strength, getting the mobility and doing whatever it takes to get on the field as soon as possible.”

A torn Achilles can take over a year to properly recover from and it’s unclear what Greenlaw’s timeline is. Considering the impact the 26-year-old has had for the 49ers, they’ll be waiting with bated breath as he heals.

Greenlaw Grows Into Major Role

As a fifth-round selection in the 2019 NFL draft, Greenlaw didn’t arrive in San Francisco with a ton of hype. But the former Arkansas Razorback quickly impressed as a rookie due to his ability to track the ball and secure tackles.

Over 2018 and 2019, Greenlaw totaled 125 solo tackles and 10 tackles for loss according to Pro Football Reference. Entering his third season, Greenlaw was set for a major role but a groin injury and ensuing surgery meant he only played 6 times in 2021.

Any concerns about Greenlaw losing a step were summarily addressed in 2022. The 49ers LB racked up 82 solo tackles, 6 passes defended and two forced fumbles during a career campaign. The 49ers rewarded him with a two-year, $16.4 million extension ahead of the 2023 season.

Greenlaw had another good year with 75 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks and 4 passes defended. However, the freak Achilles tear in the Super Bowl ended his season in brutal fashion. Even worse, it may jeopardize his ability to play in 2024.

49ers LB Speaks on ‘Hard Times’

It’s one thing to suffer a major injury in the Super Bowl. But tripping while running onto the field is beyond that. During his recent interview, he explained that the Achilles tear was difficult to swallow, but that his family helped him in one of the lowest moments of his career.

“It was definitely some hard, hard times,” Greenlaw said. “Thankfully I had my son and my fiance with me to support me through those times. I was getting a lot of phone calls and people checking up, but after about a week that dies down and you’re just kind of laying in bed. Every now and then you’ll get a memory or a thought about the game and try not to think about it too much, just kind of try to put it past you.”

During the event, Greenlaw was handed the 2024 Dwight Clark Award, which represents a player’s commitment to teamwork.