The Denver Broncos are 3-2 after a huge win, and they could be getting two key players back at just the right time. The Broncos embark on the softest stretch of their schedule in 2025. In the coming weeks, they are set to face the New York Jets, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and Las Vegas Raiders.
Denver is clearly better than their next five opponents, and you get the sense that Denver should win at least four of the next five games. The Broncos could be on the cusp of hitting their stride at the right time, as Sean Payton-coached teams tend to explode in October and November, so the best part of the season might be coming soon.
In the coming weeks, and both could be back by Week 7, the Broncos hope to get two key defensive players who could propel this unit to the next level, and their return could be at the exact right time.
Malcolm Roach and Dre Greenlaw could return at the right time for the Broncos
Both Malcolm Roach and Dre Greenlaw have been on injured reserve, and the defense has missed each one. Roach had a calf injury and is eligible to come off at any time now. He was actually eligible for the Broncos' Week 5 game, but he did not play in that game and remains on the list.
Dre Greenlaw, one of the more notable signings by any team in the 2025 NFL Offseason, could come off in Week 7 when the Broncos return home to face the New York Giants. Part of me wonders if the Broncos are eye-balling Week 7 for both Greenlaw and Roach to be activated off the list and to play.
At the end of the day, it's not smart to risk bringing a player back even a game too early, as reaggravating an injury could keep one of them out for the rest of the season. The NFL is a marathon, and the Broncos absolutely want to have both players in the lineup when Week 18 rolls around and perhaps beyond that.
With the New York Jets up next, the Broncos should be just fine without Malcolm Roach and Dre Greenlaw, but if they are healthy enough to play in Week 7, they should. Roach had a phenomenal 2024 season with the Broncos as a rotational defensive tackle, and, when healthy, Greenlaw is a top-5 linebacker in the NFL.