Dre Greenlaw suffered a devastating Achilles injury in last season’s Super Bowl, and some believe the San Francisco 49ers would have defeated the Kansas City Chiefs if he had not gotten hurt.
Greenlaw is a very important player for the 49ers’ defense, and his absence has been clearly felt this year. Fortunately for San Francisco, the star linebacker is set to make his season debut on Thursday Nigh Football against the Los Angeles Rams.
49ers Fans React to Dre Greenlaw’s Return From Injury
The 49ers fans on social media were hyped after hearing that the team has activated Greenlaw to play on Thursday Night Football. The NFC West franchise is 6-7 and needs to win all of its remaining games to position itself to make the playoffs.
Getting a player of Greenlaw’s caliber back could change a lot of things for the 49ers and ultimately push them to turn their season around. Here’s how fans reacted to the return of one of their team’s most impactful players:
We are so back! pic.twitter.com/jELOZMzIxt
— ChaCha 𝕏 (@chacha72kobe4er) December 12, 2024
“Holy s**t,” said one fan after hearing about Greenlaw playing tonight.
Another fan added, “This is HUGE. Not sure how fresh he will be, but this is big for SF.”
DEMON HOME 😈 https://t.co/adhMAryNds pic.twitter.com/vSvXvog4h0
— pakeo 🥢 (@pak3o) December 12, 2024
“Never been more excited to see a 49er return from injury,” wrote one fan.
“None of y’all boy’s run now, s**t gonna get real scary,” added another 49ers fan.
https://t.co/EjMqt9LcEr pic.twitter.com/M6SAPNAadp
— Josh Garza (@MrGarza84) December 12, 2024
The duo of Fred Warner and Greenlaw is one of the best at the linebacker position, and they can make life tough for any team in the NFL. In last season’s Super Bowl, the 49ers appeared well on their way to winning the game as their defense completely dominated the Chiefs’ offense and kept Travis Kelce out of the picture.
Unfortunately, Greenlaw tore his tendon while running onto the field from the sidelines, a moment that seemed to change the game. Warner was visibly upset that his teammate bizarrely suffered such a serious injury. Ultimately, Patrick Mahomes willed his team back into the game after being down 10-3 at the half and defeated the 49ers in a Super Bowl for the second time in his career.
The 49ers have already lost to the Rams earlier this season but are favored to win in Week 15. Los Angeles is coming off a huge 44-42 win against the Buffalo Bills and has all its key players healthy.
Greenlaw is 7-0 against the Rams in his career in regular season games, and he will be determined to keep his unbeaten streak alive.
Greenlaw Could Leave San Francisco in 2025
The 49ers could lose Greenlaw after this season. The 27-year-old linebacker will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, and since San Francisco doesn’t have much cap space; Greenlaw signing with a different team in free agency seems like the most likely outcome.
According to Spotrac, the 49ers are projected to have $27.3 million in cap space next season, but they have many players who need new deals. As well S.F. has plenty of players beyond Greenlaw who will be free agents after this season:
- Charvarius Ward
- Talanoa Hufanga
- Jordan Mason (Restricted Free Agent)
- Isaac Yiadom
Moreover, the 49ers still have to offer Brock Purdy a contract extension. Whether that happens this upcoming offseason or the next (with the possibility of a franchise tag after the 2025 season, his final under contract), the team’s ability to construct a stacked roster will be limited when it has to pay its quarterback over $50 million annually rather than around the $1 million mark.