'It means everything' - Fred Warner relishing Dre Greenlaw's potential return in 49ers' must-win game vs. Rams

The San Francisco 49ers have waited a long time to get linebacker Dre Greenlaw back on the field following the torn Achilles he suffered in bizarre circumstances in Super Bowl 58.

That will potentially happen on Thursday when the 49ers host the Los Angeles Rams in a must-win game for their extremely slim playoff hopes.

Greenlaw, who has spent the entire year on PUP, had his practice window opened prior to the Week 13 clash with the Buffalo Bills.

He has yet to be activated to the 53-man roster, but head coach Kyle Shanahan has previously indicated the Week 15 matchup with the Rams would be his most likely return date.

Greenlaw injured his Achilles running onto the field in the second quarter of the 49ers' overtime defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, a turn of events that left All-Pro running mate Fred Warner visibly shaken on the sideline.

Asked about the prospect of getting Greenlaw back in primetime, Warner told a press conference after the 49ers' blowout win over the Chicago Bears: "It means everything, I've been waiting for that moment for the entire season. 

"To potentially have him out there again with me, it means everything."

Greenlaw's return would be another big boost to a defense that got All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga back from a wrist injury in the victory against the Bears.

Explaining the impact of Hufanga's comeback, Shanahan said: "Oh, I was just pumped to get Huf out there in uniform. We weren't sure how it was going to go this week with him being back for practice and we thought he looked real good. And then when he told me he had the confidence he had to play on Friday, I was pumped to start him. 

"So just to get him out there, I thought was, just the emotions of it I thought sparked our team. And it looked like he played real well, just from what I saw live, I'll see more on the tape. But just the type of guy Huf is and getting him back out on the field with us throughout the week and then in that game, I think, fired our guys up."

Coming off such a serious injury, there is no guarantee Greenlaw will be able to make a substantial impact right off the bat, but the emotional lift his presence will provide could be critical in a game the 49ers cannot afford to lose.