There is always a level of risk involved with signing big-money players in NFL Free Agency. The Denver Broncos knew the risks when they signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw in the 2025 offseason, but his arrival in the Mile High City was arguably the most anticipated of any move the team made last year.
Now, just one year later, Greenlaw is gone. The Denver Broncos have admitted their mistake with the veteran linebacker after just one season and 10 total games (8 regular season, 2 playoffs) with the team.
Greenlaw was cut on Day 1 of NFL Free Agency after the Broncos were able to bring back both Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton, and there were signs that made this move extremely obvious (if you were paying attention).
Broncos admitted defeat on failed Dre Greenlaw move in free agency
Source: The #Broncos are releasing veteran LB Dre Greenlaw, a big-time physical presence in their defense.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2026
Unfortunately, the Broncos barely got to experience Dre Greenlaw being a "big-time physical presence" for their defense. Greenlaw was only available for eight regular seasons games due to injury and suspension, and was limited in his snaps early on because he was struggling to pick up Vance Joseph's defense.
This isn't speculation, either. Vance Joseph himself went on Peter Schrager's podcast during the season and revealed that it was due to playing catch-up with the scheme that Greenlaw was limited early on, but it was the injury bug that likely caused that.
Along with injury issues limiting his availability, a suspension for one game due to verbally attacking an official, and snaps being limited due to difficulty picking up the scheme, Greenlaw had some rather concerning comments after the season about the differences between Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan as coaches. He also likened Vance Joseph's defense to learning Spanish early on.
Dre Greenlaw compared playing for the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan to the Broncos and Sean Payton:
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) January 27, 2026
"It's just 2 different personality coaches... understanding the defense it was like freakin spanish when I first saw it" 😂
Says he's proud of the growth he made 💪 pic.twitter.com/oIDWEQOMJv
Greenlaw, whether he realized it or not, was making a pretty staggering statement there. When comparing Payton and Shanahan, he said Shanahan "wants you fresh", implying that Payton doesn't necessarily want that, or at least doesn't prioritize it.
Again, the breadcrumbs were there to be found. Everyone wanted this particular signing to work out badly, because Greenlaw is such a talented player. And when healthy, he's a true difference-maker. But the Broncos built this scenario into his contract when he originally signed.
Greenlaw received a three-year deal worth $31.5 million in total money, but just $11.5 million in guaranteed money. There was always going to be a chance that, if things didn't go exactly as the Broncos expected, Greenlaw could be cut.
And now he has been.
Frankly, this is an admission of a massive failure by the front office and coaching staff. Taking a swing on Greenlaw was not a bad idea on paper (most fans wanted it to happen as well), but the Broncos are once again getting burned for looking at more short-term fixes rather than investing in long-term options.
Signing Greenlaw likely prevented the Broncos from taking someone like Jihaad Campbell early in last year's draft where they took Jahdae Barron instead. Hindsight is always 20/20 when it comes to the draft, but the Broncos have not invested properly at the linebacker position for years. The fan base is once again furious about their process here in the 2026 offseason, running it back with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, cutting the guy who represented the team's major upgrade over those very players just one year ago.