Head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos are up against the clock, facing the Kansas City Chiefs on a short week with myriad injury concerns. However, Broncos Country can breathe easier when it comes to linebacker Dre Greenlaw, if only slightly.
That is not the only player the Broncos must monitor before game day, though.
The Broncos are still holding off on making final decisions regarding three other starters, and four players total that have started games this season.
Broncos Not Planning Another IR Stint for Dre Greenlaw
GettyDre Greenlaw #57 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a stop against the Houston Texans.
Greenlaw, who was listed as a non-participant on the Broncos’ first two injury reports this week, suffered a hamstring injury during the fourth quarter of the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. The veteran linebacker pulled up lame while chasing running back Travis Etienne.
Greenlaw did not finish the contest.
Despite the ominous appearance of the non-contact injury and Payton remaining mum on injuries, The Denver Post’s Luca Evans relayed an encouraging update on the situation.
“A potential Week 15 injury nightmare for these Broncos appears to be more just a bad dream,” Evans wrote on December 23. “Denver is not planning to place linebacker Dre Greenlaw on injured reserve, multiple sources told The Denver Post on Tuesday.
“The Broncos … 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.”
Greenlaw spent time on IR earlier in the season due to a quad injury.
Greenlaw is in his first season with the Broncos, signing in free agency after an injury-marred start to his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers.
Broncos Getting Deja Vu With Luke Wattenberg
GettyLuke Wattenberg #60 of the Denver Broncos on the sidelines against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The most significant injury concern for the Broncos may not be Greenlaw, who has been available for eight of the team’s 15 games this season. Instead, Broncos center Luke Wattenberg looms large for the mantle.
Wattenberg, like Greenlaw, has logged back-to-back DNPs to start the week.
Wattenberg missed four games last season. The Broncos turned to Alex Forsyth while Wattenberg recovered, and Evans expects that to be the case again, if need be.
With this week’s game on Thursday, the Broncos are unlikely to go through more than a walkthrough on Wednesday, meaning there could be no contact in practice for any of the walking wounded.
That is a daunting ask of any player.
The good news is that the Broncos are used to navigating these issues with Greenlaw and Wattenberg, as well as the rest of their injured players.
Status Quo for Broncos
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Broncos’ injury report remained unchanged from Day 1 to Day 2 in Week 17, Greelaw and Wattenberg included. Tight end Nate Adkins (knee) and wide receiver Pat Bryant (concussion) remained sidelined. At the same time, no Broncos players suffered any setbacks.
Cornerback Riley Moss and left guard Ben Powers, who will rotate with Alex Palczewski for at least another week after a long layoff, have all logged back-to-back full sessions.
Linebackers Justin Strnad and Karene Reid have also been full participants so far this week.
The Broncos are facing a depleted Chiefs team that also has a litany of injuries heading into the matchup. That bodes well for Payton and the Broncos, regardless of whether they have Greenlaw or any of their other uncertain players or not in Week 17.
Broncos Relay Good News Amid Significant Update Before Chiefs Game