San Francisco 49ers standout linebacker Dre Greenlaw made his feelings about the Denver Broncos abundantly clear.
Now one prominent Broncos reporter has returned fire.
After Greenlaw led the San Francisco 49ers with 12 tackles in their 24-14 win over Denver on October 4, 9NEWS Broncos insider Mike Klis delivered an aggressive assessment of the veteran linebacker’s brief tenure in Denver.
Greenlaw, Klis wrote, will go down as “one of the Broncos’ biggest free-agent busts of the past decade.”
That is quite a label to attach to a player less than 24 hours after watching him help beat the team that let him go.
Broncos Reporter Takes Shot at Dre Greenlaw
Greenlaw’s one season in Denver was unquestionably disappointing.
The Broncos signed him to a three-year, $31.5 million contract in March 2025 after Greenlaw spent his first six NFL seasons with San Francisco. Injuries derailed the move almost immediately, however, and Greenlaw appeared in only eight regular-season games.
He finished his Broncos tenure with 43 tackles, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble before Denver released him the following offseason. San Francisco brought him back on a one-year deal in March 2026.
Klis argued Denver received little return on its investment and characterized Greenlaw as one of the franchise’s biggest recent free-agent misses.
But his column came after perhaps the worst possible game for Denver to make that argument.
Greenlaw delivered 12 tackles against his former team, leading a 49ers defense that held Denver to 14 points. The San Francisco Chronicle also credited him with a forced fumble in the victory.
Dre Greenlaw Says Sean Payton ‘Disrespected’ Him
There was considerably more behind Greenlaw’s performance than another game on the schedule.
Greenlaw told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch that he felt disrespected by Broncos head coach Sean Payton during the end of his Denver tenure.
Among Greenlaw’s grievances was the manner in which he learned Denver was releasing him. Greenlaw said Payton never called him directly, with the news instead reaching him through his agent.
The frustration spilled onto the field Sunday.
Greenlaw confronted Payton after San Francisco’s victory and shouted at his former coach as emotions boiled over. Payton declined to escalate the situation afterward.
“I think the world of him,” Payton told reporters, according to 9NEWS. “Really, I love everything about him. He played with that emotion, so all good.”
Greenlaw’s former Denver teammate Alex Singleton was considerably less surprised by what unfolded.
“I love the way he plays,” Singleton said, via 9NEWS. “I was happy for him.”
Greenlaw Looks Like Himself Again With 49ers
That may be the more uncomfortable part of the story for Denver.
Greenlaw’s Broncos tenure never resembled the version San Francisco knew.
Before leaving the 49ers, Greenlaw had consecutive seasons of 100-plus tackles in 2022 and 2023 and had established himself alongside Fred Warner as one of the emotional engines of San Francisco’s defense. His career was then disrupted by the Achilles tear he suffered during Super Bowl LVIII.
Denver bet on Greenlaw recovering that form. It didn’t happen there.
San Francisco made the same bet one year later — at a considerably lower price — and early returns have been much better.
Greenlaw entered the Denver game with 22 tackles through his first three appearances back with the 49ers, according to the team’s statistics. Then came 12 more against the franchise that decided he wasn’t worth keeping.
Whether “free-agent bust” fairly describes Greenlaw’s year in Denver is one argument.
What happened Sunday isn’t.
The Broncos moved on. Greenlaw went back to San Francisco.
And in their first meeting since the breakup, Greenlaw got the last word.
49ers LB Dre Greenlaw Hit With ‘Free-Agent Bust’ Label By Broncos Media