SANTA CLARA — Dre Greenlaw could not wait to get back on the field.
The 49ers linebacker spent 305 days away from game action after tearing his left Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl against Kansas City. He got his chance against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium, and he made it count.
Though he left in the second half with left knee tightness and the 49ers ultimately lost 12-6, Greenlaw’s impact was felt throughout the first half. He recorded eight tackles and finished the game as San Francisco’s second-leading tackler despite playing just three snaps after halftime.
“I missed letting my anger and frustration out,” Greenlaw said of the layoff. “I like going to hit people sometimes. It lets a lot of frustration out, makes me feel better. I missed everything about it. The fans, going out there at Levi’s, playing next to Fred (Warner). That feeling of playing next to him.”
Greenlaw’s presence was felt on a night when the 49ers had to scramble to field a skeleton crew at linebacker. San Francisco entered with a mostly healthy group on paper, but that didn’t paint the picture.
Warner has played through a fractured ankle since Sept. 29, when he was injured against the New England Patriots. Greenlaw just returned and is already banged up again.
Backup Dee Winters, who entered the game more or less healthy, temporarily left with a neck injury early in the first quarter. And most notably, De’Vondre Campbell, who has started in Greenlaw’s place, refused to enter the game when asked in the third quarter.
“I don’t know. He didn’t want to play,” Greenlaw said. “So I mean, I guess if you don’t want to play, you ain’t got to play.”
Greenlaw, who just might sprint barefoot over hot coals to play, certainly wanted to be on the field.
“That passion comes from not ever being good enough,” Greenlaw said. “Always, it’s not quite good enough for somebody, for something, or whatever it may be. It comes from passion and drive and wanting to be the best, wanting to get better and see how good I could be.
“I don’t play for nobody else but to see how good I could be. Because I’ve been through a lot of stuff in life. I’ve been given this opportunity to play football starting in eighth grade, and it’s been with me along this whole journey. So that’s where that passion has come from. It’s been there for me this whole time.”
Greenlaw shared a special moment with Warner before the game, the culmination of all the emotions he dealt with along his road back to the gridiron.
“Fred, he’s one of them guys that he’s just been there with me throughout every step of my career,” Greenlaw said. “So he knows how much I want to be out there. He knows how much it meant to me. I know how bad he wanted me out there too. So anytime we can suit up and go out there and play, that’s what we want. That’s what we love.”
The 49ers’ already faint playoff hopes all but vanished with the divisional loss to the Rams. They are now 2 1/2 games back both of Seattle, the NFC West leader, and Washington, which holds the final wild-card spot in the NFC, with three games left to play.
So with Greenlaw experiencing some tightness in his left leg, San Francisco would likely be smart to limit his exposure the rest of the way. Greenlaw doesn’t love that idea, but he’s open to prioritizing his long-term health with an eye toward the rest of his NFL career.
“The knee felt a little weird,” Greenlaw said. “So I wanted to protect myself a little bit. It didn’t feel right. Got a little tight. I’ve got to make sure I use caution on it. It definitely was hard (during my recovery), because there were some times where I felt like I can go. That’s how I’ve always been. Let’s get to it. Whatever happens, happens.
“But at this particular time in my career, I can’t afford to get hurt too much more. I don’t want to be in this position again next year, where I’m watching the whole (season). So I tried my best to try to be as smart as I can on it, take it one day at a time. I’m thankful to have everybody in my corner, good teammates, to have my back along the process.”
Greenlaw will take the next 10 days and prepare to play as many snaps as possible in the 49ers’ next game against the Miami Dolphins. Mentally, he won’t need that long.
“If I was healthy, I’d play another game tomorrow,” he said.
