WATCH: 49ers players' heartbreaking reaction to Dre Greenlaw's Achilles injury in Super Bowl 58
Dre Greenlaw tore his Achilles tendon while subbing in during Super Bowl LVIII, and everyone felt bad for him. But no one bore the emotional brunt of it more than his teammates.
On Tuesday, The CW's Inside the NFL showed previously unseen footage of the San Francisco 49ers reacting to their linebacker falling to the field. Pro Bowler Fred Warner anguishedly screams "No" as the rest of the defense can only stand in disbelief. Meanwhile, head coach Kyle Shanahan and tight end George Kittle bewilderedly ask about the situation:
After the video played, co-host Chris Long discussed the impact of the injury:
"That tandem (of Greenlaw and Warner) is such a game changer. It gave the Chiefs a little bit of air, a little bit of breathing room on first and second down. He's great in the run, in the box; but he's also good in coverage... Dre Greenlaw is a difference-maker."
49ers players speak up on Dre Greenlaw's shocking Achilles injury
What really stings about Dre Greenlaw's injury was that up until then, he had been effective. He tallied three tackles and helped contain Patrick Mahomes, who visibly struggled to find open men in the face of his pressure.
Fred Warner summed it up best in the post-game scrum:
“I was sick to my stomach. I’m still sick. I seen him at halftime and I’m just, I’m crying because I’m so hurt for him... When we ran out on the field together and I see him drop down, I knew exactly what happened.”"
George Kittle, meanwhile, expressed hope that the 2019 fifth-round pick would approach a certain former rival for advice on how to recover from the injury:
“That’s depressing - to get injured in the Super Bowl. Hopefully he hits up Aaron Rodgers and figures out how to heal that quickly. Dre’s the heartbeat of our team. Him and Fred in there — they feed off of each other... He’s everything the Niners stand for.”
And the worst news may come soon for the 49ers: according to GiveMeSport's Brandon Glick, Greenlaw may miss the entire 2024 season, which is the last year of his current contract.