Dre Greenlaw details 'dark' year with Broncos before 49ers reunion

Dre Greenlaw is settling back into a San Francisco 49ers uniform after a turbulent detour to Denver, and the veteran linebacker didn't hold back describing just how difficult his lone season with the Broncos was.

"There were some dark moments," Greenlaw told The Athletic 's Michael Silver . "It's tough, because I never got a chance to give them all I had. There's so much anger, frustration, and you just want to go out there and prove your worth to everybody, but you can't."

The circumstances behind Greenlaw's departure from San Francisco in the first place were more complicated than a simple business decision. As Greenlaw explained this offseason , he kept the 49ers informed throughout his 2025 free agency process, even as he negotiated with other teams, and head coach Kyle Shanahan asked to be notified before Greenlaw accepted a final offer. San Francisco ultimately could not match Denver's three-year deal, and the 49ers wished him well as he signed with the Broncos.

Once in Denver, Greenlaw's season unraveled. He suffered a significant quadriceps injury early in offseason work that sidelined him until Week 7, then dealt with a hamstring issue that ended his regular season. A one-game suspension for conduct following his Broncos debut added to the disruption. Greenlaw also struggled adjusting to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's scheme, which frequently used five defenders on the line — a departure from the four-man fronts he'd grown accustomed to in San Francisco.

"I never felt like I was a part of the team because I wasn't out there," Greenlaw said. "I was always in the training room. I knew the trainers more than I knew the teammates."

Greenlaw finished his lone Denver season with 43 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and two passes defended across eight games before the Broncos released him in March . He signed with San Francisco shortly after, returning to the franchise that drafted him in 2019 and paired him with Fred Warner to form one of the NFL's top linebacker duos.

Now back in the Bay Area, Greenlaw described the reunion in simple terms.

"It just feels like home," he said. "I get to still play football and prove people wrong. And that's what I've been doing my whole life."

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Dre Greenlaw details 'dark' year with Broncos before 49ers reunion

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →