Broncos just gave fans the injury update they've been waiting for all season

Denver Broncos fans might finally get to see a player everyone has been eager to see in orange and blue since he signed in March. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw was one of the Broncos' biggest and most important signings in NFL Free Agency, but he's been dealing with quad issues since the Spring, and hasn't been able to get on the field.

The Broncos just designated him to return from IR, meaning Greenlaw has a 21-day window opened up to be activated onto the 53-man roster.

He could make his debut as soon as Sunday against the New York Giants.

Dre Greenlaw could return for Broncos in Week 7 showdown with Giants

Greenlaw has returned to practice in the past, so it's important to proceed with a bit of cautious optimism here. He returned to practice in training camp only to suffer a setback. He returned after the conclusion of the preseason, only to suffer yet another setback.

The Broncos waited a couple of weeks at the start of the year to even place Greenlaw on IR, meaning it's possible he suffered yet another setback in his recovery.

Speculation aside, Greenlaw was on the practice field in a limited basis and "looked good" according to Sean Payton as well as his teammates. The Broncos might try, at least just a little bit, to diminish the return of Greenlaw to the practice field given the fact that we've all had the carpet pulled from underneath us in the past.

But if Greenlaw plays?

We'll expect him to bring an impact at the second level of the defense unlike anything the Broncos have had since the likes of Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall. Greenlaw is a special linebacker and a player who is widely (almost unanimously) considered one of the top 5-7 players at his position in the league.

If he can hit the ground running for this Denver defense, he adds a physical and dynamic presence that could take an already-dominant defense to a new level. The Broncos are the 2nd-best scoring offense in the NFL so far this season. The four other teams in the top five of fewest points allowed (Texans, Vikings, Falcons, Packers) have only played five games.

Denver's defense has weathered the storm without Greenlaw, but having him on the field will be fantastic for everyone. Greenlaw came to the Broncos this offseason after missing most of last year with the 49ers. Despite his injury history with the 49ers, San Francisco's brain trust of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan desperately tried to recruit him to come back to the 49ers.

It didn't work. Greenlaw took a team-friendly deal to come to the Broncos, and this type of scenario with him missing time due to injuries has always been in the back of the minds of Broncos Country. Everyone would have loved to have seen Greenlaw play an entire season, but it's more important for the Broncos that he's around for the long haul.

Hopefully, the added recovery time while on IR is exactly what Greenlaw needed to get back to 100 percent, instead of trying to come back before he was truly ready.