Dre Greenlaw remains fighting to return from the left Achilles tear he sustained during the first half of the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
An all-out hustler on the field, Greenlaw will return to the gridiron when able. His new San Francisco teammate and fellow linebacker, De’Vondre Campbell, is sure of it.
In an exclusive interview with 49ers Webzone’s Justin Melo on June 26, Campbell, who signed a free-agent contract with San Francisco on Mar. 15, revealed Greenlaw’s mindset during his long-term recovery process.
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“We just need to focus on getting him [Greenlaw] healthy,” Campbell told Melo. “I've been in constant contact with him. He's a dog, man. When you keep a dog in a kennel, it can get anxious. He wants to play football so bad. I told him this is God's plan for him right now. He just needs to get healthy and control what he can control.”
Indeed, all Greenlaw can do is control what he can control. The freak injury he suffered, by all accounts, was out of his control -- just bad luck.
Additionally, the 49ers’ revamped defense under first-year defensive coordinator Nick Sorenson vows to keep opposing offenses in check while Greenlaw recovers, per Campbell.
“Fred Warner and myself, Curtis [Robinson], Flynn [Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles], Zeke [Ezekiel Turner] Dee [Winters], all of us are going to hold the fort down until Greenlaw gets back to where he wants to be,” Campbell said.
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Campbell enters his ninth NFL season familiar with the 49ers as a rival. He is excited to compete for a Super Bowl with San Francisco and to suit up with the team’s star-studded linebacker corps when Greenlaw is healthy.
“We all know that Fred's résumé speaks for itself,” Campbell said. “I personally feel like Dre Greenlaw doesn't get the respect he deserves. He's one of the best linebackers in this league. I've always been a big fan of both of them.”
“I've obviously had a lot of opportunities to play against the San Francisco 49ers in the past. I've honestly always been attracted to the style of football they play…They hunt, they have a bunch of dogs…They called me and told me they wanted me [in free agency]. I'm just trying to make the most of it.”
Hopefully, Campbell gets to play with Greenlaw and Warner sooner rather than later.