On Monday, as uncertainty continued to reign around Dre Greenlaw’s status, Broncos head coach Sean Payton said reporters would see the free-agent linebacker “sooner than later.”
“Sooner,” it turns out, was four days.
Greenlaw was dressed and active for Friday’s viewing portion of practice open to media members, the first time he’s been seen taking the field since the week of Aug. 18 ahead of the Broncos’ final preseason game. It’s an encouraging sign for Denver, as the organization hasn’t put Greenlaw on short-term injured reserve despite his absence.
The linebacker has primarily been seen doing rehab work on a side field across the last few weeks, and was inactive for Week 1 against Tennessee. His health has been touch-and-go since he tore his quad in offseason work, and since he re-injured the area in late July.
The Broncos have taken a clear long-term approach with Greenlaw. Agent J.R. Carroll previously told The Denver Post that Greenlaw’s had no issues with the organization’s plan for him, and said the team has done “an excellent job managing his expectations.”
Denver signed Greenlaw to a three-year, $31.5 million deal in free agency after six standout years with the San Francisco 49ers. Greenlaw hasn’t played a healthy season since tearing his Achilles in a fluke moment in February 2024’s Super Bowl. When active, he’s a physical sideline-to-sideline threat as a tackler with excellent skills in coverage.
A healthy Greenlaw would be a massive boost for the Broncos against multidimensional Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren on Sunday. His status against Indianapolis is still in doubt, and the team will release its injury report later Friday afternoon.
This story will be updated.
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