Sep 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) on the sidelines prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Denver Broncos: Deliver Bad News for 2025 Acquisition

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics
By Jackson Loschko | Last updated Mar 9, 2026 6:24 PM ET

The Denver Broncos entered the offseason with two of their top three off-ball linebackers scheduled to test free agency. Denver re-signed Justin Strnad to a three-year, $18 million contract with $10 million guaranteed on Sunday. The Broncos also re-signed Alex Singleton to a two-year, $15.5 million deal with $11 million guaranteed on Monday. This leaves a veteran linebacker as the odd man out.

Denver Broncos veteran LB had a rough inaugural season in Denver

Dre Greenlaw had a rough inaugural season in Denver, battling two injuries, which sidelined him for eight games while missing Week 8 due to a suspension. He suffered a significant quad injury during an April workout, which cost him OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and aggravated the injury in training camp, causing him to miss the rest of camp and the first six games. Greenlaw also suffered a hamstring injury in Week 16 that kept him out of the final two regular-season games and limited him in the playoffs. He totaled 53 tackles, two TFLs, one sack, one interception, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble across ten games and seven starts.

Due to his injury history, the Broncos retaining two starting-caliber linebackers, and his contract, he is widely viewed as a cap casualty. The 28-year-old is scheduled to earn a $7.47 million base salary with $2 million of his salary guaranteed if on the roster by March 15, a per-game bonus totaling $1.53 million, $9 million in cash, and a $10.36 million cap charge in 2026, per Over The Cap.

The Broncos deliver bad news for the 2025 acquisition

Oct 29, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) leaves the field during halftime against the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

According to Ian Rapoport, the Broncos are releasing Dre Greenlaw after just ten games with the team, but did not specify what cut designation. With a standard release, the front office frees $6.02 million in cap space while taking on $4.33 million in dead cap and wiping the $13.17 million cap charge in 2027. With a post-June 1 designation, they clear $8.19 million cap space and take on $2.17 million dead cap in 2026 and 2027.