Sean Payton Provides Encouraging Update on Broncos' LB Dre Greenlaw

After signing a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos back in March, linebacker Dre Greenlaw did not suit up for Week 1's 20-12 win over the Tennessee Titans. Suffice it to say, Broncos Country has been a bit anxious ever since Greenlaw suffered that second quad injury about a week into training camp.

All of the messaging from head coach Sean Payton was positive, playing down the severity of Greenlaw's quad. Few fans and media expected Greenlaw to be a DNP (did not participate) on every practice report ahead of the Broncos' Week-1 matchup, but he was.

The Broncos handled the Titans, and while Greenlaw's backup, Justin Strnad, played well, it would have been nice to have the prized free-agent pickup playing next to fellow starter Alex Singleton. In a Monday morning conference call with local press, Payton teased a little more on Greenlaw's outlook, while answering a question about safety Talanoa Hufanga's impressive debut as a Bronco.

"Greenlaw possesses the same things, and you’re going to see him sooner than later," Payton said. "Something that’s very important, football instincts.”

Sooner Than Later

"Sooner than later" could mean this week, or it could mean two weeks from now. It's obviously a very unspecific outlook.

Next up, the Broncos will travel to take on a better-than-expected Indianapolis Colts squad that dominated the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. From there, Denver stays on the road with trip to take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

If the Broncos had designs on 'resting' Greenlaw until Week 3, they may want to rethink that plan because the Colts are a Conference foe and they opened the season very strong. Plus, it's at Lucas Oil Stadium.

However, it wouldn't be a shock to see Greenlaw kept out of practice this week, too, with his Broncos debut officially coming on the road vs. the Chargers. We'll have a better bead on which direction this is headed on Wednesday. If Greenlaw is even a limited participant, it could point toward a Week 2 debut.

A Dominant Defense Sans Greenlaw

Without Greenlaw, the Broncos were still fantastic on defense in the season-opener, limiting the Titans to just 133 total yards, the fewest total yards of offense allowed by Denver in a Week-1 game in team history. The Broncos allowed just 62 passing yards to rookie quarterback Cam Ward, which ranks second all time for the franchise.

The Titans only managed 71 rushing yards. Singleton looked a little antsy and nervous out there, filling the wrong holes at times against the run. But he finished fourth on the team with six tackles.

Greenlaw's Resume

Greenlaw is in his seventh NFL season out of Arkansas. He spent the first six years of his pro career with the San Francisco 49ers as a 2019 fifth-round draft choice.

The 6-foot, 230-pound linebacker is a force of nature. Greenlaw is a very instinctual player and super physical, which is a big reason why he's also struggled to stay healthy as a pro.

In the two mostly-complete seasons he's had as a starter, Greenlaw eclipsed the 100-tackle mark, and came very close in each of his first two years, starting 11 games in both 2019 and 2020. After suffering an Achilles injury in Super Bowl LVIII, he's started just two games.

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The Broncos bet big on Greenlaw, even though they did protect themselves with the structure of his contract. The early returns on the team's wager of sorts aren't exactly encouraging, but it's way too soon to hit the panic button.