The Denver Broncos have officially ruled out linebacker Dre Greenlaw for the season opener. The Week 6 matchup against the Tennessee Titans will be played at Empower Field at Mile High. Greenlaw recently earned himself a nice payday by signing a huge contract with the squad. He has had trouble with chronic injury concerns all through the preseason and training camp.
Greenlaw had signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Broncos in March. This contract is the largest given to any free agent from another team this year. Despite his high-profile signing, Greenlaw didn’t play a single game during the preseason due to an injury. On Monday, he practiced for the first time in about seven months. Yet he was a non-participant the rest of the week, leading to questions about his physical state.
New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has not provided any details publicly on Greenlaw. We still aren’t certain if he re-aggravated an earlier injury or suffered a new one. Greenlaw has been plagued by injury the last few seasons. Entering the 2024 season, he’d only played in three games during the 2021 season and a measly two games in 2024. His last significant injury occurred in Super Bowl LVIII. It started with his left Achilles, which was ruptured, causing him to miss a long period of time.
During training camp, Greenlaw suffered a significant thigh injury. This new injury is seen as “unique” compared to his prior injuries which are complicating his efforts to rehab and get ready for next season. This new injury was bad enough to keep him out of the field all of preseason. Due to that, he was eventually ruled out for the Thursday night matchup against the Titans.
Going down the stretch last year, Greenlaw delivered an emotional return on December 12th. He had eight tackles in just 30 defensive snaps vs. the Rams. His return—unexpectedly short-lived—was nonetheless filled with promise. Just a week after that, Smith was dealt another brutal blow, going down with a calf injury just four snaps into his debut in Miami.
Greenlaw’s presence in the season opener would have done wonders for the Broncos’ defense. They were preparing to host the Titans for a key division matchup, and this loss is a big blow. The rest of the team will have to change their strategy and replacement players in response to his lack of availability.
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