Dre Greenlaw was on the field for four defensive plays before being sidelined with a calf injury in the 49ers' 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
On Monday, Kyle Shanahan shared that the linebacker potentially could miss the final two games of the 2024 NFL season, but a final decision has yet to be made. Greenlaw’s calf soreness is not occurring on the leg that underwent Achilles reconstruction, but rather the original leg that limited Greenlaw with Achilles tendinitis in 2023.
“My gut is most likely he will end up being shut down, but I got to wait to talk to Dre on that and still make sure how he is doing, because right now, we just have it as soreness,” Shanahan said. “That will definitely be a decision that I’ll leave up to Dre depending on what this health is.”
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Shanahan and the 49ers want to be careful with their linebacker and prevent further injury, but also respectful to a player who has been a key contributor since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Greenlaw, who is set to be a free agent in 2025, would like to show the league he is healthy enough to warrant a high-ticket, multi-year contract.
“It’s also in good interest for Dre to get out there and play for him also, if he is healthy and he can do it,” Shanahan explained. “It’s a fine line in that, I told Dre this after the Rams game. He was telling me, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll for sure be good the next week.’
“That’s how bad he wants to go, because it is a good thing when a player is coming back from an injury to be able to show the league you got back, and you’re good to go. But by no means doing that at the expense of messing up the next year or so.”
There was no doubt about Greenlaw's impact in the first half of the 49ers' Week 15 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. The linebacker led the defense with eight tackles before being sidelined with knee soreness in his first game back since suffering a ruptured Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII.
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Greenlaw’s teammates and coaches alike felt the heightened energy as a result of his presence on the field.
“It’s been a battle and a hard deal to get back,” Shanahan said of Greeenlaw’s recovery. “I think he was real emotional in his first game, and even his first few practices, just being able to make it. It’s been a huge success so far, just the fact that he’s gotten to this point.
“When we told him he wasn’t going to go back in any more [in Miami], he was pretty emotional because I know how bad he wants to go in, and how bad he wants to move on from this, but it's still part of the process and still something he’s working through. He’s been really inspiring to watch go through all of this."
Both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner spoke on Sunday night after the game, complimenting Greenlaw’s passion for the game and desire to get back on the field. But they also expressed a shared belief in need to protect him from himself.
“We see the difference from last game when he’s out there,” Warner said Sunday. “That’s my guy. I love going out there to battle with him, but at the end of the day, it’s about saving Dre from himself sometimes, too.
“He’s coming back from a major injury. Everybody looks at last game and how great he was, but that’s not normal; he’s dealing with something significant, so we have to protect him from himself sometimes.”
The team will have a few days of rest before reconvening on Thursday in preparation for a visit from the Detroit Lions in Week 17. Shanahan likely will give Greenlaw all the time he needs to make an educated decision on his availability for the next two weeks.
“That’s something that Dre understands, but his passion and his heart really want to get out there,” Shanahan said. “That’s why I say I’m leaning towards no, but I got to get more information on that to make sure that’s the right decision for Dre.”