Dre Greenlaw’s Return to the 49ers After a Challenging Season with the Broncos

Home holds a special meaning for individuals, and for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, Denver Broncos was not that place. After joining the Broncos on a substantial three-year, $31.5 million contract, Greenlaw was released nearly a year later. He then made his way back to the San Francisco 49ers on a one-year contract, resuming the career path he followed for six years initially.

Greenlaw’s stint in Denver was not without challenges. One prominent issue was the city’s high altitude, which didn’t suit him well. Speaking to The Athletic, he mentioned, “F—ing altitude. My mouth’s dry, my nose is dry, I can’t sleep.… I’m fighting demons left and right.” The clear, fresh air of California offers a stark contrast. “This fresh air, bro, it makes a difference. You feel like you can run all day out here,” Greenlaw explained.

His time with the Broncos started on a tough note. On just the second day of organized team activities (OTAs), Greenlaw suffered a severe quadriceps strain. This injury kept him off the field until Week 7. Greenlaw felt that head coach Sean Payton became frustrated due to his absence. “We were good, especially when I first came in,” he recalled. “And then you pop your quad, people start looking at you.” Following a hamstring injury during a game against the Jaguars, Greenlaw sensed the coach’s disappointment. “I felt alone,” he admitted.

Greenlaw mentioned knowing his trainers better than his teammates because of limited field presence. In the previous season, he managed to participate in eight games, starting in seven of them. During this period, he recorded 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception.

The defensive schemes at the Broncos differed from what he was accustomed to with the 49ers. Greenlaw took full responsibility for not adapting, stating, “I don’t blame anything on the Broncos. Coming off the Achilles and the calf injuries, I just wasn’t in the shape that I needed to be to go out there with them and give it all I got. I should have taken it slow.” Nevertheless, eager to prove his worth following his lucrative contract, he pushed himself and consequently struggled.

He revealed his desire to perform better in areas such as film study, feeling he let himself and the team down. After parting with the Broncos, Greenlaw took a one-year, $7.5 million deal to return to the familiar environment of the 49ers in Southern California. “It just feels like home,” he said. “I get to still play football and prove people wrong. And that’s what I’ve been doing my whole life.”