Linebacker Dre Greenlaw is one step closer to suiting up with his teammates in 2024.
On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers opened up Greenlaw's practice window from the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list. The sixth-year pro has spent the entirety of the season sidelined with an Achilles injury he suffered in the second quarter of Super Bowl LVIII back in February.
The team will have 21-days to decide whether to activate him to the 53-man roster or have him remain on the Reserve/PUP list for the rest of the season.
"We'll see how it goes," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in anticipation of Greenlaw's first practice back. "It will be awesome just having him on the field today. When Dre's around, whether it's on the field or in meeting rooms, he's 100 percent ball and everyone loves him in here. Just watching him fly around out there today will be really fun."
In a season filled with injuries to key playmakers, the return of Greenlaw could provide a much-needed boost in this second half of the season.
Outside of the two years (2021 and 2024) that Greenlaw suffered significant injuries, the veteran linebacker has finished No. 2 on the team in total tackles behind All-Pro Fred Warner.
Leading up to the official opening up of his practice window, Greenlaw has been going through mock practices to ramp up to the team's typical football schedule. Shanahan detailed the process in his press conference.
"I didn't watch them or anything, but that's what all our guys go through on Injured Reserve. Talanoa Hufanga is doing that this week," Shanahan said. "You're just not allowed to be with coaches or anything like that until you open their window. So, they don't like their first time doing true football drills and everything to be that.
"They go out on their own with their training staff. They're doing less rehab stuff and more doing like what they would do in individual (drills). (There's) a trainer taking them through that, doing the reps of what they do in practice. They try and get a normal practice week in... Everything they do in a normal Wednesday practice to see how sore they are on Thursday. Then they do that same thing on Thursday to see how sore they are on Friday. Then they try to have a workout on Sunday to see that. They do that, and then we open up their window. Then, they have three weeks to go through that before we can make a decision."
