He’s back. Kind of.
The Broncos could have their projected starting weak-side linebacker back as early as Sunday’s matchup with the New York Giants, as linebacker Dre Greenlaw was healthy and practicing Wednesday in his first opening to return from injured reserve.
Greenlaw’s participation indicates the Broncos are opening his 21-day window to elevate him off IR. That means Denver will have to designate him as active within the next three game weeks or shut him down for the season.
Greenlaw’s status has been topsy-turvy since July, when he came up limping in training camp after tearing his quad earlier in the spring. Any optimism for a return in Week 3 against the Chargers was squashed as the team placed him on injured reserve, as a source previously told The Denver Post Greenlaw had suffered a small setback in his recovery.
“We felt like the last thing we wanted to do was have him come out too early,” head coach Sean Payton said then, “and reinjure it.”
Such setbacks have primarily relegated the linebacker to watching from the sidelines and leading the Broncos’ linebackers in pregame huddles. Greenlaw has flown out of Denver for rehab over the last month; he also traveled with the team on their extended road trip to Philadelphia and then London last week.
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After a shaky start, Vance Joseph’s defense has steadied in the middle without their $35 million free-agent signee. Starting middle linebacker Alex Singleton had his best game of the season against the Jets in London, and Justin Strnad has rounded into one of the best inside-linebacker blitzers in the NFL.
A healthy Greenlaw, though, offers coverage skills that Joseph simply doesn’t have with the personnel in the middle of his current scheme, and Greenlaw’s ability to both play the run and drop back could open up more defensive-back-heavy variations for the Broncos.
Greenlaw has played just two games total over the last two seasons, since tearing his Achilles in a freak moment running out from the sidelines in February 2024’s Super Bowl. In 2022 and 2023, though, he was one of the best weak-side linebackers in the NFL, with a combined 247 tackles in 30 games.
Healthy enough: Denver had its full complement back at practice Wednesday, after a couple notables were scratched from Sunday’s game in London with injury. Outside linebacker Jonah Elliss (ribs/shoulder) and running back Tyler Badie (shoulder) were practicing as normal during the viewing period of Wednesday’s practice, after both didn’t play against the Jets.
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