The San Francisco 49ers’ misfortunes may finally be turning around. Ahead of a Thursday Night showdown against the Los Angeles Rams, the team is set to get back one of its most important defensive players — Dre Greenlaw.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, linebacker Dre Greenlaw will make his 2024 season debut tonight vs. the Rams.
After tearing Achilles in Super Bowl 58, Greenlaw has spent most of the season rehabbing. While it is unsure how man snaps Greenlaw will play, Rapoport added, “He’ll ease his way back in tonight.”
The 49ers also received potentially good news on running back Isaac Guerendo. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported he he “feels good,” and is also hoping to play against the Rams Thursday night.
The return of Greenlaw is one San Francisco has been anticipating all year.
49ers’ general manager John Lynch spoke with KNBR this week about Greenlaw’s return saying, “He’s worked his tail off. We all know what 57 does for us.”
Greenlaw has been a monster since being drafted in 2019. He has been voted to the NFL’s Top 100 list in consecutive seasons while racking up 446 combined tackles. He plays with a spark and energy the team feeds off of. An aggression the team knows they need back.
Dre Greenlaw’s Impact
Speaking about Greenlaw’s potential return, linebacker and running mate Fred Warner could not contain his excitement.
“It means everything. I’ve been waiting for that moment for the entire season. So, potentially to have [Greenlaw] out there again with me means everything.”
Since 2019, Warner and Greenlaw have been one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL. With a cumulative 77.16 PFF coverage grade and 559 run stops, defenses have had a hard time moving the football with Warner and Greenlaw on the field together.
San Francisco’s defense looks different. It feels more lively when Greenlaw suits up. His impact is truly unquantifiable.
A great example of this is Super Bowl 58. In the first half, San Francisco held Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce to one catch for one yard. Shortly after Greenlaw tore his Achilles, Kelce exploded for eight receptions and 92 yards in the second half.
Greenlaw’s replacement, Oren Burks, finished with a 32.2 PFF coverage grade, allowing Kelce to catch three passes for 25 yards.
While Greenlaw should not be expected to put together a Super Bowl-like performance tonight, the 49ers will bank on his presence to push the squad past the Rams.
Expectations for Dre Greenlaw
The San Francisco 49ers will likely treat Greenlaw’s return identical to safety Talanoa Hufanga’s. In his first game back off Injured Reserve, Hufanga played 39 total snaps in a win vs. Chicago.
Hufanga split reps with Ji’Ayir Brown but still played 72% of the shared snaps. Greenlaw’s injury is more severe, and with San Francisco wanting to play things safe, he could split reps with De’Vondre Campbell and Dee Winters.
While it is unknown what scenarios San Francisco wants to utilize Greenlaw in, two areas the 49ers could use him are on third down and helping the team limit second-half points. This season, the 49ers rank 27th by allowing a 43.9% third-down conversion rate. They have also given up close to 15 points in the second half of each game.
Greenlaw’s return comes one day after the 10-month anniversary of his injury.
