Broncos placing inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw on injured reserve, sources say

Luca Evans, The Denver Post on Sep 20, 2025

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DENVER — The Broncos are finally biting the bullet with Dre Greenlaw.

After a lengthy rehab from a quad tear this offseason and subsequent flare-up in training camp, the organization is placing Greenlaw on short-term injured reserve, sources told The Denver Post. The designation means the inside linebacker will miss a minimum of four games.

The Broncos signed Greenlaw to a three-year, $31.5 million deal this offseason with $11.5 million fully guaranteed, a bet on his return to health after he played just two games in 2024. Thus far, though, Denver’s come up empty on its investment, with Greenlaw now guaranteed to miss the team’s first six games of the season, at minimum.

After entering free agency fully healthy coming off an Achilles tear in February’s Super Bowl, Greenlaw tore his quad in the offseason — setting in motion an arduous recovery that’ll continue with his stint on injured reserve. After making his debut in pads in July, Greenlaw had a flare-up of his quad on a linebacker coverage drill. He’s taken precious few reps since, and hasn’t completed a full practice with the Broncos since training camp.

Optimism peaked after Greenlaw was a limited participant in the Broncos’ Friday practice two days before a Week 2 matchup with the Colts. Broncos coach Sean Payton even said, “You’re going to see him sooner than later” that week.

But Greenlaw was again relegated to the side field for three straight days in this week’s ramp-up to an AFC West matchup with the Chargers.

“We felt like, he’s kinda on our schedule,” Payton said Wednesday. “And look — we spent time on it, because it’s a little nebulous, relative to the injury. And that’s all I’ll say.”

The Broncos’ decision to not place Greenlaw on injured reserve at the start of the year indicated a belief that the inside linebacker would be available by the Broncos’ Week 4 contest with the Cincinnati Bengals. But a source with knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post that Greenlaw had a “small” setback in his recovery this week.

The organization has taken a long-term approach to Greenlaw’s recovery, preferring him healthy for the season’s stretch run rather than its opening weeks. His next chance to make his debut is now Week 7 against the New York Giants.

Starting inside linebackers Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton struggled heavily in coverage in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, the exact skill Greenlaw was brought in to provide. Denver’s other primary options at linebacker are rookie Karene Reid and second-year practice-squad member Levelle Bailey, with no easy answers to personnel issues.

Practice-squad elevations

With Greenlaw’s continued absence, the Broncos are bringing up inside linebacker Garret Wallow from the practice squad for the second straight week. Denver’s also calling up fullback Adam Prentice again for Sunday’s game against the Chargers, despite the potential return of tight end/fullback Nate Adkins.