San Francisco 49ers in perilous position at linebacker after Dre Greenlaw's comments on his return from injury

There had been previously been talk that San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was targeting Week 1 of the 2024 season for his return from the bizarre Achilles injury that brought his participation in Super Bowl 58 to a premature end.

In his first interview since that injury, Greenlaw sounded a much less optimistic tone.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch earlier in the offseason suggested Greenlaw could start the 2024 campaign on the PUP list, and Greenlaw's comments on when he might return from injury appear to suggest he agrees with that assessment.

Asked by NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco on the '49ers Talk' podcast when he might return, Greenlaw replied: "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. 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 a long, slow process that you just kind of gotta be ready for every day to wake up and attack whatever it is that I’m trying to work on. 

"And for me, that’s, right now, just the strength and the mobility, just trying to get good range of motion in it. But also, just making sure I’m getting the strength while I’m getting that range of motion, too, because, you don’t want to get all just range of motion in it and with no strength and all that kind of stuff. So just trying to get better, get stronger and all that good stuff.”

Greenlaw's remarks underline the problem the 49ers have at what has typically been one of their strongest positions when they have everyone healthy.

Fred Warner remains the best linebacker in the game and will occupy the MIKE role as always in 2024, but the 49ers' options in Greenlaw's spot at WILL are unconvincing.

Having agreed to a deal with Eric Kendricks to seemingly occupy that spot in Greenlaw's absence, the former Minnesota Viking then changed his mind and instead elected to reunite with former head coach Mike Zimmer and play for the Dallas Cowboys.

That left the 49ers to turn their attention to De'Vondre Campbell, a 2021 All-Pro with the Green Bay Packers who endured a difficult 2023 season, allowing the highest Expected Points Added per target of any linebacker targeted at least 10 times, per Sports Info Solutions. Per Pro Football Focus, Campbell's passer rating allowed was 142.4, the highest of his NFL career.

Campbell has struggled with injuries in recent years and, following his release by the Packers, claimed they "badly misused" him, pointing the decisions made by Green Bay's coaching staff as the reason for his drop-off.

With Greenlaw indicating he has no idea when he will return, the 49ers need Campbell to be proven correct and enjoy a. bounce-back season. Behind him, the Niners have longtime backup and special teamer Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles along with 2023 draft picks Dee Winters and Jalen Graham, rookie seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune and free-agent signing Ezekiel Turner, acquired for his special teams experience.

Flannigan-Fowles and Winters will likely be the favorites to play the SAM linebacker role on base downs and serve as the next man up at WILL, but the cupboard is pretty bare in terms of compelling options to start in Greenlaw's role if Campbell struggles or suffers another injury.

As such, the 49ers find themselves in a perilous position at linebacker even with Warner in the lineup. 

Opponents have not been able to pick on either linebacker in the 49ers' nickel package because of the coverage ability, awareness and athleticism of Warner and Greenlaw. Now Greenlaw's seemingly likely absence gives opposing offenses a player in the middle of the field they can look to exploit on a consistent basis.

Rarely have the 49ers had to worry about anything to do with their linebackers in the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era. Going into the 2024 season, they have reason to be nervous about the position.