The 49ers on Thursday evening got some good offseason injury news from linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Greenlaw appeared at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series in San Jose just three months after tearing his Achilles during the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Chiefs.
He told attendees his recovery process is long and slow, but he did recently removed the walking boot he’d been wearing post-surgery, offering a sign that the recovery is heading in the right direction.
General manager John Lynch told reporters at the NFL league meetings in March that Greenlaw was aiming for a Week 1 return. The GM was more reserved in his estimate, saying the star linebacker is more likely to start the season on the PUP list.
Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group got good video of Greenlaw walking off the stage:
#49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw is 3 months into Achilles recovery and able to walk off stage with his son after receiving the Dwight Clark Legacy Award tonight in San Jose at event benefiting @goldenheartfund
Big Play Dre says its long, slow process but feels really good pic.twitter.com/anojFBaH9h
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) May 17, 2024
There’s still a long way to go for Greenlaw to return to the field, but his presence Thursday night sans-walking boot is definitely a positive update.
Until he can play again the 49ers will likely rely on veteran De’Vondre Campbell to fill Greenlaw’s Will LB role. While San Francisco would love to get Greenlaw back by Week 1, getting him back at all in 2024 would be a nice boost for their defense at some point in the middle of the year.
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