San Francisco 49ers fans are eager to see linebacker Dre Greenlaw return to action after suffering a torn Achilles in February during the Super Bowl. The team remains optimistic that Greenlaw will contribute this season, offering a significant boost to the defense.
"We're getting close," general manager John Lynch shared on Bay Area radio station KNBR Friday morning. "I know I keep saying we're getting closer. He continues to work off to the side, and there's just markers we want to hit, and we want to make sure that we get him there."
Lynch emphasized that opening Greenlaw's practice window doesn't guarantee his immediate return to game action.
"The other thing with Dre, I think once he gets in practice, you open that window up, he probably takes a little bit of that window," Lynch explained. "Coming off an Achilles, it's not a simple thing. It's not easy. You just really have to go through all the steps. ... And believe me, it's hard for Dre, it's hard for us.
"We'd love just to throw him out there this week because we'd be a better team for it, but we want him back, not only for the short term, we want them back for the duration. So we're trying to be very purposeful on how we do that. And so he's getting closer, but don't have any definitive answers on that."
Nick Bosa's status
Defensive end Nick Bosa hasn't practiced this week due to a hip pointer injury, leaving Friday's session as his final opportunity to prepare for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Despite this, Lynch expressed confidence in his star pass rusher's recovery.
"I think he's getting better," Lynch said. "Those things hurt. During the game, I had a close eye on him. I could see it was hurting him. Generally, they get better if you can get through a game with those things. So, I think, though, he did learn that last week, he kind of worked through it in practice, and probably better to take a little rest.
"Nick plays so much, works so hard. I think, sometimes, just a little bit off his legs is actually a good thing for him and for us. And so if we can get him—I still think he's got to make some progress before Sunday—but if we can get him, and get him a little bit fresh, that's going to be a good thing for us."
Yetur Gross-Matos update
There's growing optimism that defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos will be activated off injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game. The general manager provided an update on Gross-Matos, who is attempting to return from a knee injury.
"He's doing really well," Lynch said. "He's had two full practices this week, and so, you kind of make those decisions as the week goes on. But I think the way Yetur is going right now, it's looking pretty good for him."
You can listen to Lynch's entire interview below.