Dre Greenlaw explains why he 'wasn't happy' with Broncos

Key Points:

• Dre Greenlaw attributed his injury-plagued 2025 season with the Denver Broncos to adjusting to head coach Sean Payton’s intense six-day-a-week practice regimen, which contrasted with the San Francisco 49ers’ more player-friendly approach under Kyle Shanahan.
• Greenlaw strained his quad shortly after joining the Broncos and faced multiple setbacks during rehab, limiting him to just 10 games and 44% defensive snaps in the 2025 season, which frustrated both him and the team given his $11 million salary.
• Despite the injuries and challenges, Greenlaw praised the Broncos’ medical staff and expressed no regrets about signing with Denver, while Payton acknowledged it was a difficult decision to release Greenlaw and vowed to adjust practice routines to reduce injuries.
• Payton indicated plans to implement more rest days during the week for veterans and the Broncos are taking an extended offseason break after their deep postseason run, with players not returning until May and on-field activities starting in June.
• Greenlaw expressed gratitude toward the Broncos organization but is clearly happy to return to the 49ers, emphasizing excitement about rejoining his former team in the Bay Area.