Dre Greenlaw's Return Sparks Three Burning Questions

There are some mysteries surrounding Dre Greenlaw's long-awaited Denver Broncos debut.

Jul 24, 2025; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The time has finally come for the Denver Broncos to remove the bubble wrap around linebacker Dre Greenlaw. After signing a three-year, $31.5 million contract, the former San Francisco 49ers standout has yet to make his Broncos debut, due to a quad injury.

Greenlaw has been on injured reserve since Week 3, and according to reports, the Broncos are going to activate him in time for Sunday's home game vs. the New York Giants. Multiple sources have reported that Greenlaw will be activated, including 9NEWS' Mike Klis.

Sporting the No. 57, Greenlaw will quickly make his presence felt on the Broncos' defense. His return from IR meant that a roster spot had to be opened up, which is why the Broncos released third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger on Friday.

The Broncos love Ehlinger, so expect him to stick around on the practice squad, unless another NFL team offers him something better. He turned down some other opportunities following the final roster cutdowns to stick with Sean Payton and Denver's quarterback room.

Now, on the subject of Greenlaw's long-awaited debut...

How Much Will He Play?

Greenlaw's return sparks some questions, one of which is how much the Broncos plan to play him. Considering the long road it took to get him onto the field, I'd expect the Broncos to ease him into things, but make no mistake; he's a starter.

Will Greenlaw play starter's snaps in his first game back? I doubt it. After all, he missed the vast majority of training camp, all of the preseason, and the first six games of the season.

Greenlaw is a professional athlete and, thus, in phenomenal shape. But is he in football shape? Payton talks about "building a callus" team-wise during training camp, and that applies at the individual level, too.

As it stands, Greenlaw has no callus, so the Broncos may work him in incrementally while he builds one. He's a veteran with a high football IQ, so it's not a matter of whether he knows what he's doing.

The Broncos don't want to tempt fate. However, I hope we see Greenlaw enough to increase the probability of seeing him meet Giants' rookie running back Cam Skattebo in the hole.

Greenlaw plays a hyper-physical brand of football, as does Skattebo. New York's rookie craves contact. Greenlaw will oblige him.

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Who Sits?

September 7, 2025: Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton (49) and Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) celebrate a sack in the second half of the football game between the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. | Derek Regensburger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The other big question with Greenlaw's return is which starting linebacker takes a back seat. Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton have started the first six games at linebacker.

Strnad has played in relief of Greenlaw. The Broncos' vision was for the linebacker duo to be Greenlaw and Singleton, but the fly in that ointment is that Strnad has been the better player thus far.

Now, Singleton is returning from a torn ACL that cost him most of the 2024 season, and at about the same time that Greenlaw aggravated his quad injury in training camp, Singleton fractured his thumb in practice, and then refractured it.

Singleton hasn't played well, but whether it's a result of his ACL, his thumb, or his age (soon-to-be 32) is anyone's guess. He has improved over the past couple of weeks, so it would be a surprise if Greenlaw's snaps came at Singleton's expense.

It's likely going to be Strnad who takes a back seat. But that's exactly why the Broncos re-signed him this past spring. He brings starter-level impact as a depth and special teams player, and can be relied upon when his number is called. He's already got a career-high of 3.5 sacks through just six games.

How Does He Fit?

The Broncos currently rank top-10 in all the major defensive statistical categories, with the exception of takeaways. Denver ranks second in net yards per game and scoring (15.8 ppg), third against the pass, sixth against the run, and first in yards per play, sacks (30), third-down, and red-zone efficiency.

This is already an elite defense six weeks into the season. With Greenlaw set to get into the mix, there's no telling to what heights Vance Joseph's defense could rise.

Greenlaw is the Broncos' best coverage linebacker, so that should be an immediate upgrade against the pass, or, it will be, at least, once he gets his game legs back beneath him. He's also a tremendous run-fitting linebacker with great instincts and he can go sideline-to-sideline chasing the ball.

Let's just hope Greenlaw's battles with the injury bug are in the rearview mirror.