In his second game as a Denver Bronco, linebacker Dre Greenlaw once again was an impact player. After serving his one-game suspension, Greenlaw returned for the Broncos’ Week 9 road tilt vs. the Houston Texans, finishing third on the team with eight tackles and a sack.
On Monday, Broncos head coach Sean Payton explained how difficult it is to spell out all the ways that Greenlaw makes an impact, but it stretches beyond his simple on-field production.
“He brings an element, just a toughness, a competitiveness. It’s hard to put on paper,” Payton said via conference call on Monday. “He’s extremely physical, and I think he plays with such good pad level and leverage. He’s a great tackler. It’s good to have him in the lineup. It was tough waiting and making that decision, but [in] hindsight, it was worth it.”
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Sep 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) on the sidelines prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Payton is referring to the Broncos’ decision to place Greenlaw on injured reserve ahead of Week 3. After his successful career with the San Francisco 49ers had been marred by injuries, the Broncos signed Greenlaw to a three-year, $31.5 million deal this past spring.
As everyone held their collective breath, hoping that Greenlaw could stay out of the injury bug’s crosshairs, that virulent insect bit him during offseason workouts. He suffered a quad injury that rendered him a spectator for the Broncos’ offseason training program.
By training camp, Greenlaw was good to go. Then he reaggravated the quad injury only a few practices in, missing the remainder of training camp and all of the preseason.
However, the Broncos expected the veteran linebacker to be ready within the first four weeks of the season, so he wasn’t placed on IR to open the campaign. It was a setback to face the facts after Week 2 and put Greenlaw on IR, knowing that it meant he’d have to miss the next four games no matter what, after also missing the first two.
Finally, Greenlaw was good to go, and the Broncos activated him in time for their Week 7 home tilt vs. the New York Giants. He played well in his Broncos debut, but after the game, he chased referee Brad Allen and hollered something at him, and the NFL stepped in, suspending Greenlaw for one game for verbally threatening an official.
Greenlaw missed his seventh game of the season in the Broncos’ Week 8 demolition of the Dallas Cowboys. Fortunately, the defense was used to being without him and absolutely smashed the Cowboys, halting all of their furious offensive momentum.
Greenlaw returned for Week 9’s 18-15 win over the Texans, and as our Erick Trickel explained in his Broncos player grades on Monday, the linebacker was a difference-maker. Greenlaw earned an 87.6 grade (out of 100, that’s great).
“Denver made getting Greenlaw a priority, and his play speaks for itself. While he has been limited to two games and 48 total snaps, he has picked up two pressures on four blitzes, 13 tackles, and has not allowed a single target to be caught,” Trickel wrote.
Greenlaw sets a tone and what he brings as a run defender and in coverage is invaluable. But his influence on the soul of this team could be the most indispensable, which is part of what Payton struggled to articulate.
All’s well that ends well. Greenlaw is healthy and wiser, too, after his run-in with the NFL. He fought the law and the law won.
Moving forward, the Broncos face some formidable tight end matchups, starting this week vs. Brock Bowers and the Las Vegas Raiders.
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