When asked about Dre Greenlaw and Christian McCaffrey, John Lynch provided some positive feedback about their eventual return from injury.
Below the .500 mark nearing the halfway point of the season, the San Francisco 49ers need all the help they can get as they stare at the reality of potentially missing the playoffs.
A chief reason behind the Niners' disappointing start to 2024 has been injuries, not unlike (although potentially not as severe) as the dreadful 2020 campaign that also followed a Super Bowl loss.
While the injury list has piled up over the first seven weeks, San Francisco has been forced to navigate the season without two of its best players: linebacker Dre Greenlaw and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.
Greenlaw, of course, suffered a torn Achilles during the Super Bowl last February and hasn't taken the field since, while McCaffrey is dealing with tendinitis in both of his Achilles that has also sidelined him since training camp.
Despite attempts to mitigate both players' absences, the 49ers clearly aren't the same team without those two.
Fortunately, at least according to general manager John Lynch, it appears both are poised to return sooner than later.
Lynch joined KNBR 680's Murph & Markus Show on Friday in advance of the Niners' Sunday Night Football showdown against the Dallas Cowboys, and the rash of injuries San Francisco has dealt with was understandably a point of discussion.
When asked about the possibility of either Greenlaw or McCaffrey returning, Lynch's response was positive.
"Absolutely, very much so," Lynch said. "We're getting closer on all of them, they're trending in really good directions... That would be a boost, those are really good players."
Rumors have been circulating about McCaffrey's return for a while, although no concrete date had been established.
However, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, it appears the 49ers are targeting Week 10 as a potential return for the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, which would follow after the Niners' Week 9 bye:
From @GMFB: While #49ers star WR Brandon Aiyuk is out, the #49ers could have two key skill players on Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/YXawbbzl1i
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 25, 2024
Both players potentially deliver a massive shot in the arm to a San Francisco squad that has largely struggled over the first seven weeks of the season.
While the woes and injury losses elsewhere cut deep, there's no questioning the fact both McCaffrey and Greenlaw would help alleviate the pressure of such inconsistent and disappointing play the 49ers have endured thus far.
And perhaps that's precisely what's needed for the Niners to go on yet another second-half surge.
