San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan shared several injury updates following Thursday night's disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Linebacker Dee Winters left the game with a neck injury and did not return. Safety Ji'Ayir Brown also exited in the second half after sustaining a groin injury.
The game marked the highly anticipated return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who played significant snaps in the first half. It was his first game since suffering a torn Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII, 10 months ago. Understandably, fans grew concerned when Greenlaw left in the third quarter and did not return.
Shanahan clarified that Greenlaw was dealing with fatigue in his first game back, not a significant setback.
Greenlaw addressed the situation, explaining his decision to exit.
"The knee kind of just kind of felt a little weird, so I just wanted to protect myself a little bit," Greenlaw said. "Yeah, just knee kind of didn't feel right, so everything kind of got a little tight. Just gotta make sure I use precaution on it."
Greenlaw emphasized that his Achilles felt fine, easing concerns about his recovery. When asked how he felt after his first NFL action since February, Greenlaw was candid.
"I'm sore," he admitted. "I played a lot of plays. I'm sore. So, it was expected. Everything I feel is expected. Knee's sore. Just, same side as the surgery, so everything's probably a little tighter.
"Just gotta go get 10 days, luckily, until the next game. So, just get the range of motion in it, get the strength back in it, and get the confidence back in it, and it'll be good."