The Denver Broncos signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency last month in an effort to bolster their defensive front. Greenlaw spent the first six years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. During his time in the Bay Area, Greenlaw appeared to be developing into a promising talent alongside perennial All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.
The hope was that Greenlaw could bring the same intensity to Denver’s defense, but the team’s defensive plans came under threat almost immediately after the Broncos began offseason drills last Monday. Greenlaw suffered a quadriceps injury during a workout and conflicting reports left the status of his season in doubt.
An earlier report by NBC Sports Bay Area indicated that Greenlaw suffered a quadriceps tear that would force him to miss a “substantial portion of the 2025 season,” but further reports clarified that the injury may not be as significant as initially reported.
Dre Greenlaw’s injury not expected to be as serious as initially reported
The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson reported on Sunday that a source claimed the NBC Sports report was “way off base.” According to Tomasson, Greenlaw suffered a strained quadriceps injury while working out and the Broncos only expect him to miss “a little bit of time.”
The Broncos knew about Greenlaw’s injury prior to the 2025 NFL Draft but did not draft a linebacker, which indicates they may feel optimistic about Greenlaw’s availability.
“The Broncos knew about it going into the draft and they did not select an inside linebacker,” 9NEWS insider Mike Klis reported. “He should be fine for training camp and the season.”
Although the Broncos didn’t draft any linebackers, they added Kansas linebacker J.B. Brown and Utah linebacker Karene Reid as undrafted free agents on Saturday.
Greenlaw and Warner formed arguably the best linebacker tandem in 2023. During that season, San Francisco leaned on its third-best scoring defense en route to an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII.
Greenlaw made critical plays as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker throughout that season. Greenlaw recorded eight tackles, one tackle for loss and two interceptions to help lift the 49ers to a narrow 24-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs. The first of those interceptions came in the third quarter while San Francisco was facing a 21-14 deficit. The second interception came in the final minute of the game while Green Bay was attempting to get in scoring range for a game-tying field goal attempt.
Greenlaw suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the opening stages of the Super Bowl, which derailed a large portion of his 2024 campaign. He played just 34 defensive snaps and only recorded nine tackles as he attempted to recover from the significant injury.
The 28-year-old is hoping to get back on track in Denver, where he’ll join a defensive unit that allowed the third-fewest points but struggled against the pass at times in 2024.