San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw had no idea what to expect as he prepared to emerge from the tunnel at Levi's Stadium last week against the Los Angeles Rams. It marked his first game in nearly 10 months, following a torn Achilles suffered during the Super Bowl in February.
When Greenlaw finally ran out onto the field, the crowd erupted into a roar of cheers, delivering a heartfelt welcome for the returning defender.
"It definitely was like a dream come true, just a very special moment," Greenlaw shared during an appearance Tuesday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "I didn't expect that type of roar or yell or anything. I didn't expect anything. But I know the moment was just big for me, just to be able to do that. So when I heard that roar, that cheer, it just gave me goosebumps."
Greenlaw logged 30 defensive snaps before exiting the game as a precaution due to knee soreness. Fortunately, the discomfort shouldn't impact his availability for Sunday's matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
"My knee was a little off, a little tweaky," Greenlaw explained. "I feel better this week. Luckily, we had a few extra days [off], so I definitely feel better this week. Just doing everything I can to make sure I can go Sunday. I should be up. No doubt, should be able to go Sunday."
When asked about watching his team struggle this season after beginning the year with Super Bowl aspirations, Greenlaw acknowledged that injuries—including his own—have played a significant role. However, he stressed the importance of closing out the season with intensity, building momentum into next season.
"You just got to play with a lot more heart," Greenlaw said. "We just got to leave it out on the table, everybody on the team do. We still got the same guys and same mentality that's out there, that we've had in the past. It's just, with this league, we gotta bring it every year, bring it every game. ... We still gotta go out there and take it.
"I just felt like, with injuries, it made it a lot tougher because a lot of the guys that we—CMC (RB Christian McCaffrey), [WR] Brandon [Aiyuk], guys that are tough, blue collar, hard-working guys—we didn't have those guys out there. Sometimes, when you don't got all the parts of the machine, the machine don't go as well, like it used to. I think we just got to get everybody healthy."
Greenlaw and the 49ers are hopeful for better injury luck next season. However, the linebacker recognizes the uncertainty of his future, as he is slated to become a free agent.
When asked about his mindset heading into free agency, Greenlaw emphasized his priorities.
"My attitude? Honestly, I'm not thinking about all of the free agency stuff," Greenlaw admitted. "I'm just thinking about three games that I got left with my teammates. At the end of the day, I'm probably going to be a free agent regardless, so I'm not trying to rush the process of being a free agent.
"I got three games left to enjoy with [LB] Fred [Warner], and [DE Nick] Bosa, and [QB Brock] Purdy, and all those guys, so when that time comes, I can't stop it. I can't do nothing about it. All I could do is just enjoy these three games."
You can listen to Greenlaw's entire interview below.