John Lynch is optimistic that Dre Greenlaw and Jake Moody soon will return to the 49ers.
On the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area's “49ers Game Plan,” San Francisco's president of football operations/general manager explained how important Greenlaw is to the team and how soon he might be to returning.
“Well, he’s getting closer,” Lynch told Greg Papa. “Dre is a tone-setter in every respect of that label. I think that’s probably the most positive compliment I can give someone.
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“Dre, his physicality with which he plays, his speech with which he plays, his mind. He diagnoses things really quick and he goes at gets it. He’s a sure tackle in space, so much of today’s football is played in space. And Dre, he just eliminates people and options with how fast he plays. When you have him and Fred [Warner] out there together it’s a lethal combination.”
Lynch explained that Greenlaw has been diligently rehabilitating from the torn Achilles he suffered in Super Bowl LVIII last February, though his return to play still is unknown at this point.
“Dre has done the work, and that’s a tough injury to come back from,” Lynch told Papa. “He’s getting better each week, he’s going to continue to go [when he can return] I don’t know but we’re continuing to be encouraged with his progress and we don’t think it’s far off from when he’s back helping us. We’re really excited for that time.”
Kicker Jake Moody is recovering from a high-ankle sprain he sustained after attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff during a Week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
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Lynch expressed hope that Moody would be able to return after San Francisco’s bye week and in time for the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“There’s a chance,” Lynch explained to Papa. “He’s doing really well. It’s kind of a nebulous injury with a high-ankle sprain, we’ve had a lot of those but never with a kicker.
“So, we’ve consulted with soccer clubs, Leeds, we have that relationship. We talked to people over there asking what we can expect [a recovery]. Hopefully, we don’t need [Moody] covering kicks anymore. But we need him to be able to kick, Jake is a huge asset to this team.”
The 49ers have been plagued by uneven play to start the season, but the team appears poised to get a host of crucial contributors back in the coming weeks. With the NFC West title still up for grabs, San Francisco looks to make another late-season surge to win the division and punch a playoff ticket.