In hindsight, the Broncos could’ve run through the first three weeks of their season with Mystery Player X on their 53-man roster.
At the time that Denver kicked off its 2025 season, though, the information was simple, as head coach Sean Payton recounted after Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Chargers. Dre Greenlaw was four weeks away from returning. The Broncos thought they could get the inside linebacker back before their Week 4 clash with the Bengals on Monday Night Football.
But Greenlaw suffered a setback this week in his quad rehab. And the Broncos were forced to wave the white flag and throw Greenlaw on injured reserve.
Broncos analysis: Bo Nix, Denver blow fourth-quarter lead for second straight week
"Listen, he’s been busting his tail," Payton said of Greenlaw on Sunday. "This’ll take a little pressure off. We could’ve done it earlier, and yet there was still -- there was a goal date, and it was either this week or next, and we felt like the last thing we want to do was have him come out too early and reinjure it."
Payton said he and general manager George Paton sat with Greenlaw before making the decision. The inside linebacker has been on board with the Broncos' plan for him, as agent J.R. Carroll told The Post back in early September.
"With the Broncos, they have done nothing but try to do whatap in the best interest of Dre," Carroll said then.
This long road certainly wasn't what Denver envisioned when they signed Greenlaw to a three-year deal in free agency. Payton compared the linebacker to Mike Tyson in camp, but the Broncos have not so much as seen one of Greenlaw's punches.
And Denver has a glaring hole in the middle of its defense without him in coverage, as Vance Joseph's unit continues to get shredded by pass-catching tight ends and running backs. Chargers rookie Omarion Hampton went for six catches and 59 yards in Los Angeles' win Sunday.
The Broncos will have to hope Greenlaw is ready to go by Week 7 against the Giants -- and more importantly, for a stretch run that only gains importance after a 1-2 start.
"We spent some time discussing it," Payton said. "And now, there’s plenty of season left."
Broncos have opposing-RB problem: For the second straight game, Payton said Sunday the Broncos "dropped some coverages" on the opposing running back.
This was the most glaring area Greenlaw was signed to fix, and now the most glaring weakness in Denver's defense: checking versatile pass-catchers at running back and TE. Hampton shredded them Sunday. Jonathan Taylor went for 50 yards receiving in last week's loss to the Colts. It's a major point for Joseph's defense going forward.
Payton not worried about divisional climb: On Friday, Payton called the Chargers' early-season schedule "unusual," given that they've started 2025 with three straight AFC West games. And Denver's Week 3 loss means that the Broncos now sit a distant three games back of the Chargers at 3-0.
Payton, though, shrugged off a question if that early hole gave Denver any sense of urgency.
“Yeah, listen, I get it," Payton said. "We’re in the third week of the season.”
Brees on hand: Several months after serving as a Yoda-esque figure in Bo Nix's offseason prep, 13-time Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees was at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
This was a direct tie to Brees' NFL roots, as the quarterback spent the first five years of his career with the Chargers before signing as a free agent in 2006 with Payton's New Orleans Saints. After a 15-year career in New Orleans smashing records with Payton, the now-46-year-old Brees connected with Payton's newest franchise QB this offseason as Nix spent several days traveling down to San Diego for visits.
"Thatap more or less what I’m trying to do with a guy like that, is figure out, ‘What are some things that if you were in a bad spot, what would you do here? If you were going through this, what would you do here?’" Nix described, in July. "Just seeing how they handled things, seeing how they handle situations and experiences."
Brees, too, .
