49ers LB Dre Greenlaw tears Achilles in Super Bowl 58 loss،
LAS VEGAS – After a difficult season – in which his teammates said most players couldn't have even stayed on the field as much as he did – San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw's leg gave way in a devastating way. of moments.
As Greenlaw prepared to return to the field for another Niners defensive series with 9:26 remaining in the second quarter of Sunday's 25-22 Super Bowl LVIII overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, he injured left leg. Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that Greenlaw tore his Achilles tendon.
Fellow San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner reacted angrily to seeing Greenlaw injured. Defensive end Nick Bosa watched in stunned silence as Greenlaw walked a few yards to the sideline, where medical staff began treating him. Moments later, Greenlaw, with tears in his eyes, was taken to the locker room on a cart.
“It was hard. Sometimes when things like that happen, it can disrupt the momentum just because it's a very emotional feeling,” Bosa said. “Dre is a unique human being. He overcame so much this year, and I think 99% of players wouldn't have been able to do what he did. He put his body on the line for this, and it's a shame we couldn't have it [a win]”.
As often happens with Achilles injuries, Greenlaw's occurred without contact and at the most inopportune time. The Niners had just returned the ball to the Chiefs before Greenlaw and his defensive teammates were about to return to the field.
Greenlaw was able to get up and limp to the sideline, but he and the Niners seemed to have a pretty good idea of what just happened.
The 49ers initially said Greenlaw's return was questionable, but he was quickly ruled out.
Greenlaw had three tackles before the injury. Oren Burks replaced him at weakside linebacker and finished with five tackles.
Greenlaw missed a Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Rams due to Achilles tendinitis and was still dealing with it before the NFC divisional round victory against the Green Bay Packers on January 20. He also suffered pain in his groin, ankle, hamstring, shoulder and hip. wounded at different times during the campaign.
Still, he played in 15 regular season games and finished with 120 tackles, 1.5 sacks and four assists.
An Achilles injury often comes with a lengthy recovery that appears to call into question Greenlaw's availability for the first week of next season — unless he can follow tight end George Kittle's suggestion.
“It’s depressing to get hurt in the Super Bowl,” Kittle said. “I hope he comes back [New York Jets quarterback] Aaron Rodgers discovers how to heal quickly.
“Dre is the heart of our defense… losing a guy like Dre, it's tough. He's such a fantastic football player, and he represents everything the Niners stand for, so to lose him, it's really , really rubbish.
