The Denver Broncos have needed some linebacker help for a while now, and many thought that help had come when the team signed Dre Greenlaw on a three-year deal. It was a huge risk, as Greenlaw did and still does have a lengthy injury history.
And sometimes, those injuries just stick around for a player. Despite Denver being one of the healthiest teams in the NFL for years now, Greenlaw himself just was not able to shake the injury bug. Between being hurt and a one-game suspension, he suited up for just eight regular season games and played in just 58 percent of the defensive snaps.
He did suit up for both playoff games, but the Broncos simply could not continue to rely on him, so he got cut earlier this offseason, and Denver decided to re-sign both Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. At this point, even with Jonah Elliss potentially getting snaps at the position, the need is still present, and Greenlaw's recent comments about his time with the Broncos bring the blunt truth to light.
Former Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw never seemed to settle in during 2025
Greenlaw was recently on Terron Armstead's podcast and really did not hold back talking about his time with the Broncos in 2025:
"For me, it was like, the fact that I'm not healthy, I don't feel that twitch or that gear that I felt like I need to have, but obviously I'm out here trying to do everything I can to be on the field.
It makes it tough when you pay a guy $11 million and he's only on the field 50 percent of the time. It made it tough for me. It made it to the point where it kind of makes you not happy.
Now I've got to slowly come in and take reps from somebody else, which the linebackers were playing really, really good at the time, so now I'm just taking reps from this guy. And now it's like, OK, we're splitting reps, how are we going to do it? One week it's this, one week it's that, and it's like, I've never been in that position before. Yeah, I just wasn't happy. That's really what it boiled down to at the end of the day.
Everything works out for a reason. I don't regret none of it. I'm thankful for it all, for Sean (Payton) and everybody that accepted me into that organization, teammates and all. But, yeah, I'm excited to be a Niner."
Greenlaw did mention that he doesn't regret his experience with the Broncos, but he also clearly indicated that he just never seemed to find his footing. The snap counts when Greenlaw was healthy were a bit odd, as Denver was obviously trying to limit him for later in the season when the games were more important.
But with both Singleton and Strnad playing well at times in 2025, it might have been hard for Greenlaw to consistently see the field. Obviously, had he been healthy, this would not have been an issue, and he likely would have started each week next to Singleton.
Denver is again back at 'square one' at linebacker. Singleton and Strnad are slated to be the starters, and even with Elliss projected to now get some snaps, there is still an obvious need at the position. Perhaps the Broncos' Greenlaw failure made them a bit uncertain about this year's free agency market at the position?