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  • Broncos don’t intend to place LB Dre Greenlaw on injured reserve, sources say

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    A potential Week 15 injury nightmare for these Broncos appears to be more just a bad dream.

    Denver is not planning to place linebacker Dre Greenlaw on injured reserve, multiple sources told The Denver Post on Tuesday. Greenlaw suffered a non-contact hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 34-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and has been listed as an estimated DNP on Denver’s injury reports Monday and Tuesday.

    With 2:07 left in a game that was already decided, Greenlaw chased Jaguars running back Travis Etienne at the back-end of an 11-yard run and came up hopping over to the sidelines on his right leg, clearly unable to put much weight on his left. The Broncos quickly ruled Greenlaw out with a hamstring injury, a somber development for Denver’s late-season push for an AFC West divisional title and No. 1 seed.

    The Broncos, though, clearly don’t view Greenlaw’s injury as season-ending. If they did opt to place him on injured reserve, the soonest Greenlaw could return — if Denver locks up the one-seed in the AFC — would be for a potential conference championship game. It’s likely, then, that Greenlaw is back at some point for the Broncos’ playoff run.

    Denver’s linebacker room has been a game-by-game carousel this season, with Greenlaw and starting linebacker Alex Singleton just starting to develop some synergy before Greenlaw’s latest ailment. The offseason signee was hampered for much of the start of 2025 with a lingering quad injury, and then served a one-game suspension in Week 8.

    Singleton then missed a game three weeks later after undergoing surgery to remove a testicular tumor. And LB3 Justin Strnad didn’t play Sunday against the Jaguars with a foot injury, with rookie Karene Reid already on injured reserve since November.

    The Broncos should have reinforcements in any extended Greenlaw absence, as Strnad was a full participant in Tuesday’s walkthrough and looks set to start next to Singleton in Greenlaw’s place against the Chiefs on Christmas Day. Denver, too, could elevate Reid this week off IR after opening his 21-day window to return last week.

    Center shakeup

    Broncos starting center Luke Wattenberg wasn’t present for Tuesday’s walkthrough with a shoulder injury, indicating Wattenberg’s highly doubtful to play Thursday against the Chiefs on Christmas Day. It’d be Wattenberg’s first missed game of the year, after starting 15 straight and earning a midseason extension in his second year as Denver’s man in the middle.

    Backup Alex Forsyth would almost certainly be the next man up in Wattenberg’s absence. Forsyth filled in capably for four games in 2024 when Wattenberg was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, and has plenty of cohesion with quarterback Bo Nix dating back to a shared 2022 season playing for Oregon.

    Still rotating

    The Broncos eased left guard Ben Powers back into action slowly against Jacksonville, playing Powers just 23 snaps in his return off injured reserve in a two-possession rotation with Alex Palczewski. Payton said Tuesday that the Powers-Palczewski rotation will continue Thursday night against Kansas City.

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    Luca Evans

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  • How many coverage breakdowns have Broncos had recently? ‘Too many,’ Sean Payton says.

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    The first sign of trouble came with a not-so-heated discussion, before the floodgates truly opened. A simple 9-yard out from Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence hit to Brian Thomas Jr. to further set up an end-of-half field goal, and he fell out of bounds, easy. Too easy. Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II came over to discuss with safety P.J. Locke. Surtain’s hands splayed out. Something was amiss.

    The second sign of trouble came with a punch to the mouth, with Denver already on the ropes. Jaguars wideout Parker Washington took another quick out in the third quarter, made Riley Moss miss, made Talanoa Hufanga miss, and strolled 63 yards down Mile High Lane. A touchdown later, and defensive end John Franklin-Myers trudged past a sideline of slouched shoulders, tugging off his helmet and going to chuck it. He thought better of it.

    The third sign of trouble came with the finishing blow. Moss had Washington contained on a third-down grab in the fourth quarter, until he didn’t.  Washington spun away again for a 24-yard gain. Moss lingered on his knees for a beat. Then took his palm and smacked the ground in front of him.

    Keeler: Broncos Country, don’t blame NFL referees for loss to Jaguars. Blame tackling.

    How many passing-game breakdowns have there been in recent weeks, for these Broncos?

    “Too many,” head coach Sean Payton said, postgame.

    Defensive players largely shrugged this off, after the Broncos’ three-month win streak was snapped Sunday night in a 34-20 loss to the Jaguars. Because what else is them for there to do? Denver’s still a 12-win team, as linebacker Alex Singleton pointed out postgame

    “I’m not going to sit here and let you guys (expletive) on our parade,” Singleton chuckled. He grinned. His eyes didn’t really grin. “We have two games to go to be the number-one seed in the AFC.”

    There’s no mistaking it, though: these Broncos have issues on the back-end to fix across those next two games and beyond, to play as deep as they’d like to. Lawrence picked defensive coordinator’s Vance Joseph scheme apart for four quarters, often sniffing out third-down blitzes and smoothly depositing the ball to his playmakers in a 23-of-36, 279-yard, three-touchdown performance. Payton said postgame that such a porous defensive performance “better be” an anomaly, and there’s plenty of reason to believe so.

    Broncos’ 11-game winning streak snapped by Jaguars, AFC playoff race tightens

    Look deeper, though, and Sunday was not as much an anomaly as an eruption of bubbling issues. In the last four weeks, quarterbacks have combined for an 89.7 rating against Denver’s defense. The Commanders’ Marcus Mariota freewheeled his way on some zone-read concepts against the Broncos a few weeks back. The Packers’ Jordan Love dinked and dunked with abandon in the first half in Week 15. Lawrence blew the top off on Sunday.

    They’ve all exploited the same nagging issues that haunted Joseph’s unit down the stretch of 2024 — as teams have targeted Bronco linebackers and safeties in advantageous matchups for a solid month. Here’s a quick roundup of tight-end performances against Denver’s defense in the last five weeks:

    — Chiefs’ Travis Kelce in Week 11: 9 catches, 91 yards, touchdown.

    — Commanders’ Zach Ertz in Week 13: 10 catches, 106 yards.

    — Raiders’ Brock Bowers in Week 14: 4 catches, 46 yards, touchdown.

    — Packers’ Luke Musgrave in Week 15: 4 catches, 52 yards.

    Another matchup-problem gadget weapon reared his head Sunday, as the Jaguars’ Brenton Strange went for five catches for 39 yards. He ran away from Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw for a 23-yard gain midway through the second quarter. A few plays later, he boxed out Locke — with a bit of an obvious push-off — for a short touchdown.

    “They scheme up plays pretty nicely,” Locke said, asked about problems containing tight ends and running backs in the passing game. “That’s it.

    “I don’t think it’s problems. I don’t think it’s problems. That’s stuff we just gotta handle.”

    Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen, though, repeatedly and obviously aimed at Bronco holes in coverage Sunday with a variety of targets. Greenlaw has been a step slow on a couple routes in recent weeks. Locke was effective against the run in his first start of the season at safety, but was picked on on a late-first-half field-goal drive by Jacksonville. Communication errors abounded, too, as Jacksonville went eight-of-15 on third downs.

    Renck: Broncos find out hard way that reaching their goals will not be easy. Can they handle prosperity?

    On a short week before travelling to Kansas City for a Christmas Day game, the defense will gather to watch film Monday, Singleton said. They have overcome some early-season missed handoffs in match coverage before. And Singleton, for one, wants his unit to feel it, as he said.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Broncos-Chiefs scouting report: Banged-up Denver contends with Patrick Mahomes, desperate Kansas City team

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    Chiefs (5-4) at Broncos (8-2)

    When: Sunday, 2:25 p.m.

    Where: Empower Field at Mile High Stadium

    TV/radio: CBS, 850 AM/94.1 FM

    Broncos-Chiefs series: Here we go again. The Broncos endured a long period of futility in this matchup — 16 straight losses from November 2015 to early October 2023 — before finally toppling the Chiefs 24-9 on Oct. 29, 2023. Denver split this series 1-1 last year, drubbing Kansas City 38-0 in the final game of the regular season as the Chiefs rested their starters. The Broncos are 56-73-0 against the Chiefs all-time.

    In the spotlight: Can Nik Bonitto and company take down Patrick Mahomes?

    On Monday night, the Broncos’ 26-year-old edge rusher stood in a parking lot in Federal Heights, depositing box after box of Thanksgiving meals into the trunks of families pulling through a makeshift drive-thru in Thrive Church.

    Bonitto wore a hoodie, sweats and a large black brace on his wrist. He has been wearing the brace since hurting his wrist in the Broncos’ Week 1 opener against the Titans. The splint didn’t much hurt his ability to pick up turkeys. And it certainly hasn’t hurt his ability to gobble up opposing offenses, as Bonitto put together another dominant performance against the Raiders last Thursday with eight pressures and 1.5 sacks.

    But the greatest challenge of Bonitto’s career year — first in the NFL in QB pressures (51), third in sacks (9.5) — will come Sunday, when the Chiefs and one of the NFL’s most elusive quarterbacks come to Empower Field.

    “That’s the guy that everybody looks to when it comes to sacking the quarterback,” Bonitto said Monday. “He’s one of the best in our game, so, for sure — it’s going to be exciting.”

    The Patrick Mahomes of the last three years is not quite the same game-breaker the NFL saw in his mid-20s. He has dropped from the league’s undisputed top quarterback to just arguably the top dog. He lingers tied for 10th in yards per attempt (7.4) and a distant 12th in passer rating (98.2) through 10 weeks. The Chiefs are more vulnerable than at any point since the Mahomes Era began in 2018, sitting at 5-4 and a distant third in the AFC West.

    First-round rookie tackle Josh Simmons has missed the last four weeks while dealing with a family matter. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit has been typically excellent but has sagged on third down and in the red zone. And yet, Kansas City is still as complex to navigate as a laser maze because of the 30-year-old Mahomes, who’s playing a shiftier brand of football than ever.

    Mahomes’ sack rate the past two years has been the highest of his career. Still, the Chiefs rank ninth in the NFL overall in sack rate allowed. And Mahomes has gotten the ball out at an average rate of 2.69 seconds in 2025 — more than 0.2 ticks faster than any season of his NFL career. He is a shapeshifter under center, capable of adjusting his style and timing with each passing season in Kansas City. And this year, with a shaky situation at tackle between Simmons and backup Jaylon Moore, Mahomes is either punishing teams on quick intermediate routes or with his legs.

    Opposing defenses fear Mahomes much more than running back Isiah Pacheco or Kareem Hunt, as the Chiefs have faced one of the highest rates of defensive-back-heavy formations in the NFL when running the ball, according to the league’s Next Gen Stats. Pacheco and Hunt haven’t been able to take much advantage against a light box, both averaging less than 4.5 yards a carry on such attempts. But Mahomes has feasted: 7.8 yards a carry and 266 yards with his legs when defenses go with seven or less near the line of scrimmage.

    His one weakness? Pressure. Mahomes is 28-of-71 passing when under duress, according to Next Gen Stats. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has done an outstanding job of throwing pressure at Mahomes across the Broncos and Chiefs’ last three meetings, and held him to a total of two touchdowns in that time.

    “It’s more about getting them covered, and making them hold the ball enough until we can get there,” Joseph said Thursday.

    Denver will need another monster effort from Bonitto and company at Empower Field on Sunday in a game that could assert them as the new class of the AFC West.

    “This division’s been run by the Chiefs for so many years now,” Bonitto said Monday. “So, I mean, if we’re going to want to be that team to win the division and reach the goals that we said we want, we’re gonna have to go through them and beat them.”

    Who has the edge?

    When Broncos run: Denver will play without bell-cow J.K. Dobbins for the first time this year, in some truly horrendous timing. Suddenly, rookie RJ Harvey will be thrown to the wolves against Chris Jones, Nick Bolton and company. Harvey has only gotten 10-plus carries once this year, and is averaging 3.3 yards a carry outside of a 50-yard pop in Week 1. Kansas City has a top-12 rushing defense through nine games in 2025. Edge: Chiefs

    When Broncos pass: Bo Nix has been a bottom-tier NFL quarterback this year outside of the fourth quarter. The clutch gene helps. Against the Raiders last week, the script actually flipped. Nix was in rhythm in the second quarter before completely falling out of it in the second half. Denver will need juice from Nix early and late against Kansas City with Dobbins out and an untested Harvey in the run game. This is the kind of matchup where the Broncos start to determine if he’s the guy for a long-term extension after 2026. Edge: Chiefs

    RELATED: Broncos analysis: To unleash Bo Nix and unlock offense, Sean Payton must start at the beginning

    When Chiefs run: The key here is Patrick Mahomes. Lead back Isiah Pacheco’s health is up in the air after a sprained MCL in Week 8, and backfield mate Kareem Hunt has averaged 3.6 yards a carry across his last four NFL seasons. But Mahomes is on pace for the best rushing season of his career, and has put up 123 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in his last two games. The Broncos have handled dual-threat QBs with aplomb this year, but Mahomes is a different kind. Slight edge: Broncos

    When Chiefs pass: The Broncos still don’t have cornerback Pat Surtain II (pec). The Chiefs have Mahomes, even if coordinator Vance Joseph has proven effective at containing him. WR1 Rashee Rice has been back for three weeks, too, adding a much more dangerous element to Kansas City’s attack. Slight edge: Chiefs

    Special teams: Chiefs punter Matt Araiza has pinned the second-highest percentage of boots inside the 20 (54.5%) of any punter in the NFL this season. Broncos rookie Jeremy Crawshaw now sits below league-average in that category, and the punting differential in Raiders-Broncos nearly swung a game for Las Vegas. The Broncos do get a huge lift with the return of All-Pro Marvin Mims Jr., and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has been iffy this year. Edge: Even

    Coaching: The Andy Reid-Matt Nagy-Steve Spagnuolo trio is as proven as any in the NFL. Joseph is one of the highest-regarded defensive coordinators in the NFL at the moment, but Sean Payton has plenty to prove with his play-calling and offensive execution after the past two weeks. Slight edge: Chiefs

    Tale of the tape

    Broncos Chiefs
    Total offense 334.6 (13th) 370.1 (7th)
    Rush offense 128.6 (9th) 121.2 (12th)
    Pass offense 206.0 (18th) 248.9 (5th)
    Points per game 23.5 (17th) 26.1 (9th)
    Total defense 270.7 (3rd) 291.8 (6th)
    Run defense 91.2 (4th) 104.6 (12th)
    Pass defense 179.5 (6th) 187.2 (7th)
    Points allowed 17.3 (3rd) 17.7 (4th)

    By the numbers

    1,908: Patrick Mahomes’ passing yards this season when he isn’t pressured, the most in the NFL.

    8: Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones’ quarterback hits through nine games this year, on pace for his fewest total since 2017.

    28: Broncos All-Pro Zach Allen’s quarterback hits through 10 games this year, the most in the NFL.

    8: Difference between Allen’s QB-hit total and second-place Nik Bonitto’s (20), the same difference between Bonitto’s total and 19th-place Leonard Williams.

    4: Bo Nix’s game-winning drives in 2025, the most in the NFL.

    18%: Percentage of snaps Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw has played where he’s recorded a tackle.

    X-factors

    Broncos: LB Justin Strnad. He’s stepped up for two years in the face of injuries, and Strnad will step back into the limelight against Kansas City after starting ILB Alex Singleton revealed Monday he’d had surgery to remove a testicular tumor. Strnad said Monday the Broncos will be playing for Singleton, and this Kansas City matchup will put Strnad’s skills in coverage and pass-rush on full display as Vance Joseph tries to disrupt Patrick Mahomes.

    Chiefs: WR Xavier Worthy. He’s one of the fastest players in the league, but — much like the Broncos’ utilization of speedster Mims — Worthy’s usage comes and goes with each passing week. Andy Reid said this past week that Kansas City isn’t “down on Xavier Worthy,” and the Broncos will need to account for Worthy on every single snap without defensive leaders Pat Surtain II and green-dot captain Singleton.

    Post predictions

    Parker Gabriel, Broncos reporter: Kansas City 23, Denver 21

    The Broncos are 6-2 in one-score games. The Chiefs are 0-4. And yet K.C. is a 4-point road favorite against the team with the NFL’s longest home winning streak. Sean Payton will readily remind anyone listening that you are what your record says you are, but your record does not necessarily forecast what you’re expected to be going forward. The West tightens by one turn.

    Luca Evans, Broncos reporter: Kansas City 24, Denver 20

    This is not the week to be missing J.K. Dobbins, Pat Surtain II and Alex Singleton, who are among the 10 most important players on this Broncos roster. Kansas City is vulnerable. So is Denver, suddenly, with a rash of injuries and absences. Let’s circle back to this matchup in Week 17 on Christmas.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Sean Payton: Broncos aren’t ‘looking to send a message’ at NFL trade deadline

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    The question started innocently enough, only for Sean Payton to obfuscate the Broncos’ intentions as much as possible.

    With the trade, and you’re in a buyer position, philosophically, do you believe in the benefit–

    “With what trade?” Payton said on a Monday conference call, interrupting a reporter.

    Philosophically, do you believe in sending a message to the team that you’re all in? 

    “We would never make a trade to send a message to the team,” Payton said. “Everyone in the locker room, our players, coaches, management, front office, knows that we’re all in to win.

    “The trade would take place — this supposed trade — if we found value in something that could help us,” Payton continued. “Period. That’s it. We’re not looking to send a message.”

    As Tuesday’s 2 p.m. trade deadline approaches, the NFL world is keeping a close eye on the Broncos’ aggressiveness, as the club evaluates a potential Payton-dubbed supposed trade. Denver is 7-2 and a game up in the AFC West entering a key stretch run, with two divisional games against the Chiefs remaining. They also still carry a litany of glaring issues, making them a potential buyer at the deadline.

    But would they gamble away draft picks for an all-in rental?

    “We’ll see,” Payton responded when asked Monday if Denver was in a position where they wanted to make a move.

    Payton and others have expressed public confidence in the current Broncos roster. Anything is possible in the next 24 hours, but a trail of breadcrumbs leads to a single most likely outcome: Denver either stands pat or doesn’t make an overall massive splash.

    “It is what it is,” Payton said in Sunday’s postgame presser when asked to evaluate his team at the halfway point. “It’s our record. I lost track…”

    Someone reminded him that the Broncos are 7-2.

    “There you go,” Payton continued. “That’s how I see it. That’s pretty good.”

    Trade rumors have floated around the Broncos for weeks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Denver is one of a few teams that’ve made a call inquiring about wide receivers. And Denver has a few positions where it could look to upgrade or find depth: receiver, tight end and left guard, most notably.

    But there are considerations with each of those position groups that muddy the waters.

    In his almost 20 years as an NFL head coach, Payton’s teams have never traded for a wide receiver at the deadline. In late October, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi also expressed faith in the receivers Denver has on its roster when asked if they could look to the deadline for WR help. Plus, Denver gave $16.5 million guaranteed to tight end Evan Engram in the offseason and still hasn’t figured out how to consistently use him in its offense (0 catches on 3 targets at the Texans Sunday).

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    Luca Evans

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  • Renck & File: Dre Greenlaw’s body let him down. Then he let down Broncos. Time to change that Sunday

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    You thought we forgot about Dre?

    Everything Dre Greenlaw brings to a team, we have not yet seen. His leadership, controlled violence and sticky coverage. That was the hype. Eight months later, it is time to examine Greenlaw’s reality in Denver.

    Hmm. Absent or incomplete? Which one fits best?

    First, his body let him down, a quadriceps injury costing him the first six games. Then he let his team down, yelling at official Brad Allen after the walk-off win over the Giants, resulting in a one-game suspension.

    This must change Sunday at Houston. A Broncos upset could hinge on his performance.

    Greenlaw has made an impact behind the scenes, setting an example with his work ethic and daily intensity. But it has not translated to the field, where his season consists of six tackles on 21 snaps against the Giants. Greenlaw showed accountability on Thursday, admitting he should not have put the Broncos in position to play without him because of his outburst. This was an important step.

    Now, the Broncos need the best of Greenlaw moving forward. They are a contender. Whether or not they can win the AFC West or host a playoff matchup hinges on games like Sunday. The Texans are scrambling for a wild-card berth. The Broncos can move 3.5 games ahead of them with a win. After demolishing the hapless Raiders, the Broncos would then host the Chiefs on Nov. 16 in the franchise’s biggest game since Super Bowl 50.

    This will not happen without Greenlaw returning to his 2023 form, without the former star filling the vacuum left by Pat Surtain II’s absence. There is evidence that Greenlaw’s ability remains; that he can instill fear for roughly 45 snaps on Sunday.

    But he cannot talk about it. He has to be about it.

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    Troy Renck

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  • NFL upholds one-game suspension for Broncos ILB Dre Greenlaw

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    The NFL isn’t budging on its stance to suspend a key member of the Broncos’ defense.

    On Tuesday night, NFL spokesman Michael Signora announced that the league upheld its one-game suspension of Dre Greenlaw, a day after multiple sources told The Denver Post that Greenlaw would appeal the suspension.

    The Broncos will now be down their starting weak-side linebacker for Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys in Denver on Sunday after Greenlaw made his season debut in Week 7.

    Greenlaw was captured on video chasing after referee Brad Allen and shouting at him following kicker Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal against the Giants last Sunday. The league announced Monday that Greenlaw’s suspension was based on a violation of NFL rules prohibiting the use of “abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures” to teammates, officials or league representatives.

    “After the conclusion of the Giants-Broncos game, Greenlaw chased after referee Brad Allen and verbally threatened him as he tried to leave the field,” the NFL said in a statement.

    Multiple members of the Broncos criticized the officiating on Sunday, including head coach Sean Payton and linebacker Justin Strnad. The Broncos were dinged for a season-high 12 penalties.

    Denver will now likely turn back to Strnad for his seventh start of the season at inside linebacker, after Greenlaw racked up six tackles in 21 snaps in his return from a quad injury.

    Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.

    Originally Published:

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    Luca Evans

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  • Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw has been suspended by the NFL for 1 game for unsportsmanlike conduct

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    DENVER (AP) — Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw was suspended by the NFL for one game on Monday for berating an official after a wild 33-32 victory over the New York Giants.

    The NFL said Greenlaw violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(b), which prohibits “the use of abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the League.”

    The 28-year-old Greenlaw has three days to appeal his suspension under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. The AFC West-leading Broncos (5-2) host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

    Greenlaw signed a $31.5 million, three-year contract with Denver in the spring after spending his first six seasons with San Francisco. He came off IR on Saturday after recovering from a quadriceps injury that had bothered him for months.

    After the Broncos’ historic comeback against the Giants, Greenlaw chased after referee Brad Allen and verbally threatened him as he tried to leave the field, the league said. He had six tackles in 21 snaps Sunday.

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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  • LB Justin Strnad believes Broncos’ struggles to cover RBs are ‘miscommunication,’ not a lack of ability

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    Justin Strnad has seen the discourse.

    By this point, it’s no national secret that the Broncos’ current linebacker corps has produced less-than-stellar results in coverage. In two losses this season, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and the Chargers’ Omarion Hampton left Denver’s defense dizzy on wheel routes. And the public’s assumption on such plays, Strnad acknowledges, is that it’s automatically the fault of him or fellow starting ILB Alex Singleton. Sometimes it is.

    “But then there’s also times,” Strnad told The Denver Post in the locker room Thursday, “where it’s like, I don’t really know what they’re talking about a lot of the time.”

    Remember when Taylor flared out of the backfield and whizzed away for a 43-yard gain in the Colts’ win in Week 2? Remember when Hampton got free on a fourth-quarter screen and sped for 22 yards in the Chargers’ win in Week 3? Both plays, specifically, were “100% miscommunication,” as Strnad told The Post.

    Would free-agent add Dre Greenlaw — stuck on injured reserve until at least Week 7 — be great to have right now, heading into this matchup with the Eagles and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley? Of course. But Denver’s dropped coverages on running backs are more a matter of overall defensive communication, Strnad believes, than a lack of ability in current ILB personnel.

    “You get people get wrapped in like, ‘Oh, he’s this in coverage, he’s that in coverage,’” Strnad told The Post. “Like you said, I think Dre was great — has been great in his career all-around, as a player. But I think all our ‘backers can cover, to be honest with you.

    “A lot of the stuff that you see on TV where a guy’s wide open, that might be more communication (than) it is to someone’s coverage ability.”

    Regardless of the reason, the fact remains: There were back-to-back losses where head coach Sean Payton pointed to coverage breakdowns against running backs. The result was a combined 109 receiving yards for Taylor and Hampton across two weeks. Denver can’t afford such mistakes against Barkley, who didn’t feature heavily as a pass-catcher in his first season in Philadelphia but has caught 14 balls through four weeks in 2025.

    The Broncos cleaned up their underneath coverages against a thoroughly inept Bengals offense in Week 4. Still, Bengals back Chase Brown had three catches for 31 yards. Sunday’s matchup against Philadelphia could be a major precedent-setter for the Broncos’ ability to shadow a mismatch back, one of a specific few phases that’s vital to Denver’s improvement.

    “I don’t even think it’s anything about ability of the DBs, linebackers,” outside linebacker Nik Bonitto told The Post in late September. “I feel like it’s more of just mental errors of them being open, more than us having to actually guard them.

    “So I feel like that’s just something we gotta look at the film room and see, and just being able to correct those type of things. Because obviously, more and more teams are going to start doing it if we don’t have an answer for it.”

    The answer, as Strnad broke down, is simple in concept and complicated in execution. Some defenses rely heavily on spot drop coverages, a type of zone where defenders backtrack to a specific area and read the quarterback’s eyes. Vance Joseph’s defense in Denver, though, contains heavy doses of match coverage — a blend of zone and man-to-man — where defenders match to specific skill players in their areas. It’s key for defenders to communicate motion by opposing offenses, Strnad explained, and to tag over mid-play on receivers.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Broncos placing inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw on injured reserve, sources say

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    The Broncos are finally biting the bullet with Dre Greenlaw.

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    Luca Evans

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  • Dre Greenlaw misses another practice as Broncos try to keep linebacker healthy for ‘long haul’

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    As the days tick down until fans flood Empower Field again for Sunday’s home opener, the status of one of Denver’s free-agent stars remains in doubt.

    Inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw didn’t practice on Wednesday, another bullet point in a concerning list of preseason developments. After signing a three-year, $31.5 million deal with the Broncos this offseason to be a ceiling-raiser in the middle of Denver’s defense, Greenlaw’s spent much of the preseason watching them elevate from the sidelines.

    Fresh off finishing up rehab for a torn ACL that wiped out most of his 2024 season, Greenlaw tore his quad this summer. It flared up again in July. He’s missed wide swaths of camp and didn’t play any preseason snaps.

    “We’re being smart,” head coach Sean Payton said Monday. “We’re being conservative, relative to the approach. It’s a long season. So, most importantly, having him not only healthy early on, but for the long haul — is the goal.”

    That has taken a certain amount of buy-in and trust from Greenlaw, whom Payton said in mid-August was “chomping at the bit” to play.

    “To be real honest, Dre’s always going to want to go as hard and fast as he can go — that’s Dre’s mentality, and a little bit of it, too, is he’s just missed the game so much,” Greenlaw’s agent J.R. Carroll told The Post on Wednesday. “And so, there was a lot of, I think, holding back by the Broncos to try to keep him reined in so that he didn’t reinjure himself.

    “I think they did an excellent job of managing his expectations.”

    Greenlaw’s Wednesday DNP, though, makes his immediate future more complicated. Payton emphatically declined to comment on Greenlaw beyond the team’s league-mandated injury reports.

    If the linebacker does play in Week 1, it’s highly likely Greenlaw sees limited snaps, given the Broncos’ emphasis on his long-term health.

    “We gotta be smart and look at pitch counts and be ready to play some younger players and not just say, ‘Hey, Week 1, we’re throwing ‘em out there for 70 plays,’” Payton said last week of Greenlaw and fellow veteran Alex Singleton.

    And even with Greenlaw’s obvious desire to return to the field, his camp’s had no issue with Denver’s conservative approach.

    “Quite honestly, if it was a different organization, I may try to interject myself if I didn’t think that — or an organization has the reputation for not having the player’s best interest at heart, but have the organization’s best interest held first,” Carroll said. “But with the Broncos, they have done nothing but try to do what’s in the best interest of Dre.

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    Luca Evans

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