Broncos HC Compares LB Dre Greenlaw to Legendary World Champion Boxer

If you want proof that signing alpha males matters, think back to how former Denver Broncos general manager John Elway built the last team to win a World Championship in the Mile High City. 

To a huge extent, current Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton have unashamedly ripped a page right out of Elway's old playbook. Signing impact players like linebacker Dre Greenlaw is a prime example of supplementing the roster with players who bring powerful intangibles with them. 

Undoubtedly, Greenlaw brings a hard-hitting, nasty disposition to proceedings, and on Monday, Payton used an intriguing mixed-sports metaphor regarding his new enforcer. 

"He plays like [former World Heavyweight Champion] Mike Tyson," Payton said of Greenlaw, following the first padded practice. "He's tough. He's physical. He's built that way. There's not a lot of leaky yardage. He's a knockback tackler. They stop where he hits them. There's an intensity to how he plays. He's one of those players where if you put the film on and didn't say anything, at some point early you would ask, 'Who is this guy?'" 

Pursuing Greenlaw and his former San Francisco 49ers teammate Talanoa Hufanga was something Denver did without hesitation. For as good as the Broncos' defense was in 2024, it still lacked cold-blooded assassins who know what it takes to get to the Super Bowl. 

When push comes to shove, securing impact players like Greenlaw can change the overall dynamic almost overnight. 

"When you get in the competition, those competitive juices are... You're trying to put your best foot forward," Payton explained. "Both with he and 'Huf' (Hufanga). So that happens in free agency. Sometimes you get the player you're looking for. Sometimes it's harder to judge. We were excited on Wednesday when he was all in." 

As far as the rest of the Broncos locker room goes, veteran players are feeding off the aura and energy Greenlaw brings, and veteran left tackle Garett Bolles has been extremely impressed thus far with his aura and character.

"The film doesn't lie, the stats don't lie, just his demeanor, his attitude, his swagger," Bolles said on Monday. "I got to know him over this OTAs, just the type of man he is, his family and where he comes from. We share very similar stories, which is really cool... Being a foster kid, coming so far in life just speaks volumes of what type of man he is and teammate he is."

When you factor in how injuries led to Greenlaw playing in only two games of very limited action last season for the Niners, he could be forgiven for packing a punch like Tyson did in his prime. 

"Yeah, I've gotten that before for sure," Greenlaw said about the Tyson comparison. "I don't know, I just like to play football and go out there, and I give it my all. You never know when it's going to be your last chance on the field, your last chance to play, so you want to make a statement anytime you can. I just love doing it and am thankful to be able to do it." 

While many pundits have been quick to cast doubts over Greenlaw's ability to stay healthy, mainly because of his notoriously aggressive style of play, the Broncos have been more than willing to take the plunge. After all, Payton is savvy enough to know that Greenlaw brings a unique extra something to the table; it’s the kind of boost that can help deliver a championship. 

Greenlaw voiced from the podium on Monday that feeling valued and wanted convinced him to join the Broncos. He had no hesitation in joining his new football family. 

"Throughout the whole time I was talking to Sean, it was never no ifs, and buts, maybe this or that," Greenlaw said. "It was like, 'Man, we want you to be here.' And, I mean, I was a foster kid growing up, so it's not a lot of times that people just wanted me, you know what I'm saying? It just made me feel special. It made me feel like this is the place where I needed to be." 

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Those of us who are old enough to remember how Iron Mike always leaned on his legendary boxing trainer and mentor Cus D'Amato for guidance, it isn't hard to draw the parallels between the nurturing influence Payton is currently developing with Greenlaw.