The 49ers have no room for error with four games left to make the 2024 playoffs. Injuries that continued throughout the season kept the Niners from playing at their best. The team is 6-7 through its first 13 games in 2024 following a 12-5 record in 2023. San Francisco faces the Los Angeles Rams at home on TNF in Week 15.
A win for the Niners tonight would give them the same record as the Rams. Last season, the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl but lost to the Chiefs in OT. During that game, LB Dre Greenlaw tore his Achilles tendon running down the field after the Niners had to punt. The 27-year-old was placed on the PUP list for the first 13 games of this season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Greenlaw has been taken off the PUP list and will play against Los Angeles in Week 15.
The 49ers’ Dre Greenlaw makes his season debut in Week 15.
Help along the way: #49ers The plan is to activate standout LB Dre Greenlaw ahead of tonight’s game. #ramsSources say:
Greenlaw tore his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl and is working his way back. We’ll be back comfortably tonight. pic.twitter.com/zhf47yOpub
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 12, 2024
Dre Greenlaw was selected by the 49ers out of Arkansas in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Greenlaw appeared in all 16 games for San Francisco. That included 11 starts and 92 combined tackles, one interception and three tackles for loss. During the 2021 season with the Niners, Greenlaw only played in three games due to injury. He rebounded in 2022 and 2023 by appearing in at least 15 games each season.
When Greenlaw tore his Achilles tendon during the Super Bowl, the 49ers were devastated for their teammate. Greenlaw was one of the key pieces of their defense, and the team missed it in 2024. LB is expected to make his season debut for the Niners tonight. It won’t be a full workload for Greenlaw, but it will be his first NFL action since tearing his Achilles tendon. It’s a long road back for Greenlaw, and the Niners could use his help if they want any chance of making the playoffs.
