49ers GM John Lynch gives an update on LB Dre Greenlaw’s potential return

Marc Adams
Nov 2, 2024 at 10:20 AM


placeholder image

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.

The San Francisco 49ers have been plagued with injuries to key players this season. Christian McCaffrey, Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Elijah Mitchell, Jon Feliciano, Yetur Gross-Matos, Talanoa Hufanga, and Javon Hargrave are among the players who have sustained injuries and have missed time for the defending NFC Champions in 2024. That does not include Dre Greenlaw, whose injury occurred while returning to the field during the Super Bowl.

But the 49ers expect to start getting some of those players back. Some, like Aiyuk, Hargrave, and Mitchell, are out for the season. Still, others could work their way back as soon as after the bye week.

According to Andy Lindquist of NBC Sports Bay Area, GM John Lynch recently sat down with Greg Papa on "49ers Game Plan" and discussed Greenlaw's potential return and how important he is to the team.

"Well, he's getting closer," Lynch said. "Dre is a tone-setter in every respect of that label. I think that's probably the most positive compliment I can give someone. 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.

"Dre has done the work, and that's a tough injury to come back from. 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."

On Friday, Lynch gave an update on McCaffrey, saying, "We'll simulate a game week in terms of volume as much as possible, and provided there's no setbacks, we're hoping to have him back on Monday in practice. And that's just opening his window. Does that mean playing vs. Tampa? No. We'll see where that goes.

"And like I said, you need to build volume up, because you don't just need to run without pain, you've got to be able to handle the rigors," Lynch added. "And that's the hard thing, on IR you can't go have somebody simulate [Buccaneers defensive tackle] Vita Vea tackling you ... so you try and simulate it as much as you can and you hope there's no setbacks. The good news is, to this point, there haven't been any."

Like Greenlaw, McCaffrey has not played this season. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year is dealing with Achilles tendonitis. The 49ers will be cautious with him to try and avoid an Achilles rupture. Without McCaffrey, the 49ers red zone offense has not been as efficient as in 2023.

Lynch also sounds optimistic that Jake Moody could potentially return after the bye week. The second-year kicker has missed the last three games with a high-ankle sprain. Moody was injured while making a tackle on a kick return.

"There's a chance," Lynch said. "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,4-4, are off this week but will resume next week in preparation for a trip to Tampa to face the Buccaneers.

Enjoy this article? Follow us to never miss more!

Powered by Follow.it


Comments

More San Francisco 49ers News

placeholder image

John Lynch on 49ers' Dre Greenlaw: "We're interested in keeping him here for a long time"

By David Bonilla
Dec 20

General manager John Lynch recognizes Dre Greenlaw's significant impact on the San Francisco 49ers defense. Despite the disappointing outcome, the linebacker provided a noticeable boost to the unit last week against the Los Angeles Rams. It marked Greenlaw's first game in 10...


placeholder image

49ers' Dre Greenlaw provides update on knee, status for Dolphins game

By David Bonilla
Dec 17

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw had no idea what to expect as he prepared to emerge from the tunnel at Levi's Stadium last week against the Los Angeles Rams. It marked his first game in nearly 10 months, following a torn Achilles suffered during the Super Bowl in...


placeholder image

49ers mailbag: Can SF re-sign Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga? Which big-name players could the 49ers lose this offseason?

By Marc Adams
Dec 21

The San Francisco 49ers have three games remaining in the 2024 season. They would love to win all three and finish on a high note. But it won't be easy. On Sunday, they play in Miami and are still banged up at some key positions, namely running back, with Isaac Guerendo having...


placeholder image

49ers fear Aaron Banks suffered MCL injury; Teammates voice concern for Dre Greenlaw

By David Bonilla
Dec 22

Defensive end Leonard Floyd exited Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins with a shoulder injury but later returned. Unfortunately, not everyone was as fortunate. Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided several injury updates after another disappointing loss. The most significant...


Latest

Trending News

Search Share 49ersWebzone