Glenn Dorsey's long rehab road leads back to Seattle

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SANTA CLARA – When defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey went down with a right knee injury in the first quarter of the 49ers’ game last season in Seattle, he knew it would be a long road to get back.

On Sunday, Dorsey, 31, returned to his first game action since sustaining a torn ACL. After being limited throughout training camp and having just one or two full practices behind him, it was time to get back on the field.

“Even though it was about 10 months, it felt like it went really fast, especially once you get past the first couple months when you can do nothing,” Dorsey said of his rehabilitation. “It felt good just to get that step out of the way where I could get live reps. I’m just looking to build on that.”

Dorsey played 15 snaps in the 49ers’ 46-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. On his first play of the game, Dorsey jumped offside. He said he saw a player who looked rusty when he watched himself on film.

“I could tell I haven’t played in a while,” Dorsey said. “I look at it, the only way to go is up from here. I look forward to getting back into it, keep working and getting better.”

Now, it's back to Seattle on Sunday. Dorsey will be used as part of a rotation on the defensive line, joining DeForest Buckner, Quinton Dial, Arik Armstead and Mike Purcell.

Dorsey signed with the 49ers in 2013 and had a solid season while lining up primarily as a nose tackle in the team’s 3-4 defense. He missed the entire 2014 season due to a torn biceps sustained early in training camp.

When Dorsey went down with his latest injury on Nov. 22, he knew it would be a long road back to be able to return to action early this season.

“I looked at as a challenge,” Dorsey said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But it’s something you can’t really know until you go through it. I have a lot of respect for guys who can come back an ACL at any position, because it’s hard. Just being able to come back and actually playing the game and get used to it. It’s big step for me personally. I wasn’t happy with the result, but that first step was major for me.”

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