The main saving grace of the end to what was essentially a lost season for Dre Greenlaw is that it will allow the San Francisco 49ers to evaluate younger players at the linebacker position over the final two games of the campaign.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Thursday that Greenlaw will not feature in the games with the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals. Greenlaw had made his return from his Super Bowl 58 Achilles injury in Week 15 versus the Los Angeles Rams. However, he left that game in the third quarter with soreness and fatigue issues. He was then pulled out of last week's loss to the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter.

Shanahan's update that Greenlaw's short-lived season is over came on the same day the Niners opened the practice window of rookie linebacker Tatum Bethune.

The 49ers took Bethune with their final pick in the 2024 draft, selecting him 251st overall out of Florida State in the seventh round.

Bethune showed signs of promise in the preseason, displaying the same traits that have helped make Greenlaw such a success with his physicality and speed to the ball.

He was placed on injured reserve in November with a knee injury having played only eight defensive snaps.

But, should the 49ers send Greenlaw to IR, that would create space on the roster that could be filled by the activation of Bethune, which would give the rookie a potential opportunity to add to his tally of defensive snaps.

With Greenlaw out and De'Vondre Campbell suspended after refusing to replace him in Week 15, encouraging second-year player Dee Winters is the starting WILL linebacker next to MIKE Fred Warner. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles played the SAM position on base downs against the Dolphins following Greenlaw's exit, but, with nothing riding on the final two games, it would make sense for the 49ers to give increased playing time to younger members of the roster.

Jalen Graham, a 2023 seventh-round pick at linebacker, is a candidate to get snaps at SAM ahead of Flannigan-Fowles. If Bethune does make his return before the end of the season, then he could also be in the mix to feature on base downs.

At this point in a hugely disappointing year with the Niners playing for nothing more than pride, the final weeks of the season can be used to evaluate players with an eye on 2025. It is not year clear whether Greenlaw will be back in 2025, so the likes of Winters, Graham, and Bethune may be in line for much bigger roles next season. If they are all involved on defense over the last pair of games, then two meaningless matchups could have a lot of significance for the future of the linebacker position for San Francisco.

Kyle Shanahan confirms decision about Dre Greenlaw’s 2024 season as 49ers’ campaign draws to a close

It’s the sensible course of action.