49ers Must Slow Play Dre Greenlaw's Return

Dre Greenlaw is a fiery player who taps into his emotions to be a high-level player. However, that could end up leading him to being too eager to return early.

Nov 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) during | Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

It was a significant gut punch when Dre Greenlaw exited the Super Bowl in the second quarter due to a torn Achilles.

To lose arguably the motor of the defense, as Charvarius Ward has called him, can be demoralizing. Having Greenlaw for the entirety of that game would've been everything for the defense, especially for the final two drives.

Now, Greenlaw must work his way back from his serious injury. A torn Achilles is on the same level of a torn ACL. They are injuries that take almost a year to come back from. Every player is different with how they recover and respond from it.

One thing that is for certain with Greenlaw is that he is going to attack his rehab to the fullest. There shouldn't be much doubt that he can't return close to or the same exact form prior to his injury. However, what should be worrisome is if he returns too soon.

The 49ers must slow play Greenlaw's return. That is incredibly significant for them to ensure. The last thing they want is for Greenlaw to claim he is ready and let him back too soon. Basically, they must protect him from himself. I am sure he is eager to get back and make up for the time he missed out on.

"When I feel like I can go out there and I really contribute and bring everything I got, I'm just going to do that every game," said Greenlaw to NBC Sports Bay Area. "I don't know if it's going to be two, three, five, six, eight or 10 (games). But when I do get the opportunity, I'm just going to play like it's the Super Bowl every game."

It's encouraging to hear that Greenlaw isn't in a rush. That is the exact mindset he must have, but you never know. He is a fiery player that could end up becoming impatient. He is only roughly three months removed from surgery, so as time passes and he sees his teammates playing, he could want to come back sooner than anticipated.

The 49ers must take the cautious route with him. Luckily, they seem to have got the right idea on how to do it. They did it last year with Brock Purdy and it proved efficient. Let Greenlaw take as much time as possible. The more he gets to rest, the less likely he will end up reinjuring himself.