It's only two weeks into the 2025 season, but everyone in Broncos Country is feeling the pressure on this team early in the year. Nobody is going to be feeling the pressure from fans more than defensive coordinator Vance Joseph if his unit goes through a similar ordeal as we saw in Week 2 against the Colts.
In particular, Joseph may have to face the reality that he can't continue rolling with a struggling starter. Specifically, starting linebacker Alex Singleton was exposed in a variety of ways in Denver's heartbreaking Week 2 loss against the Colts.
If Joseph continues to roll with Singleton in Week 3, and he continues to struggle, the outcry from the fan base is going to be deafening.
Broncos DC Vance Joseph rolling with LB Alex Singleton is hurting the defense
The question at this point is rather simple: What choice does Vance Joseph have?
Should Joseph throw the undrafted rookie Karene Reid out onto the field? Could it really be that much worse than what we've seen from Singleton in the first couple of weeks of the season? Maybe it could.
The Broncos are obviously hoping for a quick return to the field for free agent acquisition Dre Greenlaw, who is expected to come back in Week 3 or Week 4 if all goes well. But there's really not much else they can try to do.
Levelle Bailey was running with the starters at times during training camp while both Singleton and Greenlaw dealt with injuries, but one of the team's only long-term upside options -- 2023 third-round pick Drew Sanders -- is also dealing with yet another injury.
The options are so slim, the Broncos have Singleton out there playing with a club on his hand due to a broken thumb. So not only is he playing one-handed, but Singleton is also still making his way back from a season-ending ACL injury last year, and it seems we're seeing the effects of that as well.
Again, there is seemingly not much the Broncos can realistically be expected to do here until Greenlaw gets healthy enough to play extensive snaps, at which point it will be interesting to see if Justin Strnad remains in the lineup or if Singleton lines up with Greenlaw. But without question, if Singleton can't improve based on what we've seen so far in two games, the Broncos might as well give guys like Reid and Bailey a shot.
Otherwise, can anyone explain why they are on the roster? If the team doesn't trust them to play linebacker, they shouldn't be on the 53-man roster. It's understandable to have developmental options, but if your developmental options can't play, you have to have better contingencies in place, and the Broncos have done nothing to improve their depth.
If Singleton struggles, Vance Joseph is going to hear about it.