Sean Payton gave a unique comparison for Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw
After spending the first six years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, the 28-year-old linebacker signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the Denver Broncos this spring.
Greenlaw is considered one of the NFL's best linebackers when healthy, evidenced by the fact that league executives, coaches and scouts ranked him as the ninth-best LB in 2025 even after he missed most of 2024 due to injury. Turn on a Broncos game this season, and you can't miss No. 57's physicality on defense.
'I think it's one of his greatest strengths," coach Sean Payton said of Greenlaw's physicality. "He plays the position in such a way where you can't help but notice it on film. His pad level, his strength, his lower body strength. It's impressive. I'm glad we have him.'
In his last healthy season, Greenlaw totaled 120 tackles, four pass breakups and 1.5 sacks in 15 games with the 49ers in 2023. He's now set to anchor Denver's inside linebacker room, and Payton used a unique comparison for the LB's style.
'He plays like Mike Tyson," Payton said. "He's tough. He's physical. He's built that way. There's not a lot of leaky yardage. He's a knockback tackler. They stop where he hits them. There's an intensity to how he plays. He's one of those players where if you put the film on and didn't say anything, at some point early you would ask, 'Who is this guy?''
A linebacker being compared to a boxer? Believe it or not, Greenlaw's familiar with the comparison.
'Yeah, I've gotten that before for sure," Greenlaw said. "I don't know, I just like to play football and go out there, and I give it my all. You never know when it's going to be your last chance on the field, your last chance to play, so you want to make a statement anytime you can. I just love doing it and am thankful to be able to do it.'
Greenlaw will serve as one of the two starting inside linebackers in defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's scheme this fall. He will be joined by Alex Singleton (after Singleton returns from a broken thumb with a club) when the Broncos host the Tennessee Titans in their season opener on Sept. 7 (view the full schedule).
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