Why 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw Played so Much Against the Rams

Kyle Shanahan explains why Dre Greenlaw played so much in his 49ers 2024 debut against the Rams.
Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) is congratulated by safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) after making a tackle against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) is congratulated by safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) after making a tackle against the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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Dre Greenlaw looked incredible in his 2024 49ers debut against the Rams.

It was surprising to see how strong he performed after being away for 10 months recovering from a torn Achilles. However, what was just as surprising as his performance was how heavily he was playing. Greenlaw played 30 snaps in the first half against the Rams.

You would think that a player who is coming off a significant injury and with questionable conditioning would be on a snap count. That wasn't the case at all for Greenlaw. The 49ers played him as if nothing was ever wrong with him. Eventually, Greenlaw would exit the game in the third quarter due to stiffness in his knee.

On Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed why Greenlaw played so much against the Rams.

"We wanted him to play at least half of the game. We wanted him available in the fourth," Shanahan said. "It's cause the drives were so short. There weren't many drives. I think there were four three-and-outs in a row or something like that. We didn't mind putting him out there each time cause he didn't get more than four plays in a row, so he felt good. Our plan was to not have him go a couple of series in the third quarter so we could rest and have him available for the fourth. When he did go out there, he just felt so tight and stiff, so we shut him down."

This makes perfect sense. The 49ers' defense wasn't on the field that much for the majority of the first half. So, while it superficially looks bad Greenlaw played every snap in the first half, they were all spread out well. Greenlaw ended up with the perfect return game by going four straight snaps on and then taking a break.

The 49ers' defense was playing lights out against the Rams. It was largely due to Greenlaw's performance and presence. He made his teammates better with his energy alone. The difference was felt immediately with him on and off the field later when he left the game.

Since the plan was to limit Greenlaw, I fully expect it to be similar this week when the 49ers face the Dolphins. There is no need to play him 100 percent of the snaps. It's better to have him on the field on the snap count than playing him heavily and forcing him out of the again.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.