An overtime loss added insult to injury at Sunday’s Super Bowl for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who was sidelined in a bizarre accident when he tore his Achilles tendon while running onto the field in the first half.
Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the defender’s injury after the 25-22 Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Before a possession change in the second quarter, Greenlaw bounced up and down on the sideline. The second he charged onto the field, his left ankle gave out.
The Arkansas product hit the ground, grabbing his injured leg. He hopped to the sideline to receive medical treatment while his San Francisco teammates took the field.
A cart took the 2019 draft pick to the locker room as he fought through tears. The 49ers’ team staff initially said he might return, but he was soon ruled out for good. A key member of the defense, Greenlaw’s sidelining was a blow, other players acknowledged.
Dre Greenlaw appeared to injure himself jogging back onto the field pic.twitter.com/p3nwmTUsfO
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 12, 2024
“It was hard. Sometimes when things like that happen, it could sway the momentum because it’s such an emotional feeling,” teammate Nick Bosa said.
The 49ers held a 3-0 lead and were dominating the play when Greenlaw left the game. The Chiefs surged late in the game to secure a 25-22 victory in overtime and claim their third Super Bowl title since 2020 and their second in a row.
“He put his body on the line for this, and it sucks that we couldn’t get him a win,” Bosa said.
In 2023, Greenlaw posted 120 tackles in 15 regular season games. All-Pro San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner said he cried when he saw his teammate at halftime.
“I’m still sick,” Warner said after the game. “I’m so hurt for him. Obviously, we wanted to win this for him. It’s sickening.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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