INDIANAPOLIS — Dre Greenlaw had successful surgery on his Achilles, but not the one that landed him on the 49ers' injury report earlier in the season.
San Francisco general manager John Lynch spoke to local Bay Area media on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine and confirmed that it was Greenlaw’s left Achilles that had ruptured, not the linebacker’s right side that had kept him out of the team’s Week 18 regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams.
Lynch provided an update on the procedure and his emotions in the moment when he and the rest of the world realized what had happened to Greenlaw in the second quarter of Super Bowl LVIII.
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“Tim McAdams did the surgery and it went very well,” Lynch said. “I know it was a gut punch when it happened. Understanding what just happened, we’re not even on the field. Then looking up at the screen just like it was for our entire fan base and for football fans in general.
“Your heart goes out to Dre, because he puts so much into it and he lives for the big moments and to not be able to compete, it killed him and it hurts us because he’s a great player.”
Greenlaw had a stand-out season registering 120 tackles — 75 solo, five for a loss, four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. The linebacker also recorded two game-changing interceptions in the 49ers' divisional playoff round win over the Green Bay Packers.
The linebacker's absence in the second half of the Super Bowl was a blow for the defense that had held the Kansas City Chiefs to only three points in the first half.
San Francisco 49ers
“Oren Burks went in and did a really nice job, Greenlaw is a difference maker though,” Lynch said. “That hurt us but it’s part of the game and of course, you question, why do things like that happen?
“I don’t know why when he jumped up and went to run on the field that happened, but it did, and I know Dre will respond in a great fashion and attack his rehab with a vigor that he approaches everything with.”
The shock of Greenlaw’s injury was so jarring that even fellow linebacker Fred Warner did not realize that it was his position mate’s left Achilles that had ruptured. After the game, the All-Pro said that he knew what the injury was right when it happened, even though it was the opposite side.
Now Greenlaw's lengthy rehabilitation process begins. The average timeframe for a return is anywhere from four to six months followed by a re-acclimation period to get back up to speed and more comfortable on the field.