Dre Greenlaw

Greenlaw was suspended after he was ejected for headbutting Seahawks LB Ernest Jones during a sideline scuffle in the 49ers’ Week 5 win over the Seahawks. He appealed the suspension, but it has been upheld by hearing officer James Thrash. Greenlaw will miss Week 6 and is in line to return against the Falcons in Week 7.

This was the exact outcome we expected after Greenlaw was ejected from Sunday’s game for headbutting Seahawks LB Ernest Jones on the sideline during a scuffle. Greenlaw, who was wearing a helmet, hit a helmet-less Jones and was immediately ejected and will now be suspended for one game without pay. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Greenlaw will appeal his suspension, but for now, he will miss Week 6’s game against the Commanders and be in line to return in Week 7 when the Niners visit the Falcons.

A hit on Sam Darnold as he was scrambling toward the sidelines sparked a sideline scuffle between the Niners and Seahawks. In the middle of that scuffle were Greenlaw and Seahawks LB Ernest Jones. Jones, who was not wearing a helmet, was head-butted by Greenlaw, which immediately resulted in his ejection. This will certainly result in a hefty fine for Greenlaw, who could also be in danger of facing a suspension after the league has a chance to review the incident. Greenlaw has totaled 37 tackles and a forced fumble in the five games he has appeared in this season.

The 49ers are already banged up on defense with Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams ruled out on Friday. Greenlaw was listed as questionable after getting in a single limited practice. He has 22 combined tackles, 11 defensive stops, and one pressure this year.

Greenlaw played in just eight games with the Broncos last season, dealing with a quad injury, a hamstring injury and a one-game suspension. He totaled 25 solo tackles, five TFLs, one interception, two quarterback pressures and one sack despite the bumpy year. Prior to 2025, he spent his whole career playing for the 49ers.

The move clears $6 million in cap space. The 28-year-old is getting cut one season into a “three-year” deal. As was the case his final few campaigns in San Francisco, Greenlaw suffered through an injury-marred year in Denver, making just eight appearances. Greenlaw still made a play-making impact when on the field. It just wasn’t often enough for Sean Payton and company. Provided he can pass a physical right now, Greenlaw should still land guaranteed money for 2026.

It goes without saying that Greenlaw will sit out this week’s game. After signing a huge free-agent deal with the Broncos, Greenlaw has played just 324 total snaps in the regular season. He did post a solid 74.8 PFF grade, and would be in line to be a difference-maker in the playoffs if he actually gets there healthy.

Greenlaw was ruled out for the Christmas showdown with Kansas City after suffering a non-contact injury against the Jags. Bryant was unable to clear the concussion protocol, so he’ll also miss Thursday’s divisional battle.

Greenlaw went down with a non-contact injury in Week 16 against the Jags. He did not return and it isn’t clear when he will be able to return. Greenlaw has 43 combined tackles, one interception, and one sack in eight games this season.

He left Denver’s Week 16 game against the Jaguars with a non-contact hamstring injury and currently has no timetable for a return. It definitely sounds like he won’t be suiting up against the Chiefs on Thursday.

Greenlaw served his one-game suspension for verbally threatening a referee after the Broncos’ Week 7 comeback win against the Giants. Greenlaw was sidelined for Week 8 as a result of his actions, but should be back and in the starting lineup next week when the Broncos visit the Texans.

Greenlaw was seen sprinting up to the official after the team’s game-winning field goal in their historic comeback victory against the Giants. A flag was immediately thrown on the field and the league levied a one-game suspension Monday after reviewing the incident. Greenlaw is likely to appeal but he is currently slated to miss the team’s Week 8 game against the Cowboys.

Greenlaw will make his season debut after suffering a quad injury in the summer. He’ll suit up for the Broncos in a matchup against a rejuvenated Giants offense led by Jaxson Dart. The Broncos declared LB Jonah Elliss, S J.T. Gray, DT Jordan Jackson, DE Sai’vion Jones, and CB Ja’Quan McMillian inactive against the Giants.

Greenlaw suffered a torn quad in the offseason. He avoided IR or the PUP list to start the year but landed on injured reserve after Week 2. Though his recovery is clearly taking longer than expected, the fact that he was on injured reserve for the minimum of four weeks means he should be ready to go sooner rather than later. The Broncos now have three weeks to officially activate him from injured reserve.

Greenlaw’s absence is a significant blow to a Broncos defense that has underperformed expectations through two weeks. He will now miss the next four games, at minimum, with a torn quad sustained this offseason. He aggravated the injury later in the offseason before missing the team’s first two games, and subsequently being placed on injured reserve. His Broncos debut could be pushed to the tail end of the 2025 season.

He did finally get in a limited practice session on Friday, but it wasn’t enough to sway the coaching staff. Greenlaw should have a better chance of suiting up in Week 3 given the practice session. It’s probably too soon to call him “close” to returning, but the odds are slowly going up.

Greenlaw is dealing with a quad issue that has lingered from the summer. The 28-year-old is no stranger to leg injuries, having suffered an Achilles rupture in the Super Bowl back in February 2024. He has yet to practice this season, indicating he is not close to returning for Week 2. Also sidelined on Wednesday was DE John Franklin-Myers (knee). Franklin-Myers did play in Week 1 but now begins Week 2 by missing the first practice of the week.

Greenlaw suffered two quad injuries this summer and the second one is apparently still an issue. He was sidelined through all three Week 1 practices. The complete lack of participation is concerning, even for his Week 2 availability. Broncos backup DT Malcolm Roach (calf) is also out.

Greenlaw is trending toward missing Week 1 at this point, as he rehabs his second significant quad injury of the offseason. If he is active, it’s unlikely he plays a full complement of snaps. Broncos backup DT Malcolm Roach exited practice after suffering a calf injury today, which jeopardizes his availability for this weekend.

Head coach Sean Payton has already said the team is being conservative with their approach to Greenlaw’s practice regimen. The 28-year-old linebacker suffered a torn quad while working out in the offseason and recently suffered a new quad injury, which Payton says is unrelated. Expect the veteran linebacker to be on a pitch count if he is active for Week 1. Greenlaw missed most of 2024 with an Achilles injury but totaled 120 tackles, five TFLs, and four pass breakups as a starter for the 49ers in 2023. He will be a strong middle linebacker option for the Broncos’ defense, even if the team has to manage his reps this year.