"49ers dodged a bullet": NFL fans react as Broncos LB Dre Greenlaw gets sidelined for 4 weeks with injury

The Denver Broncos will be unable to have the services of one of their supposed key defenders. On Saturday, linebacker Dre Greenlaw was announced to be entering IR for the next four weeks after injuring his quad, with the stated aim of returning against the New York Giants in Week 7:

As soon as the news hit, reactions abounded:

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"Hopefully he heals up," one prayed. "Should have put him on ir to begin with now we stuck with alex singleton and strnad for a minimum of 4 more weeks," another rued. "Hopefully The nostalgia has worn off and people realize the Niners made the right decision," another insisted.

Ever since joining the Broncos on a three-year, $35-million contract during the offseason, Greenlaw has yet to play a single game. He had missed offseason training because of his quad injury.

On Wednesday, head coach Sean Payton gave a somber update on him:

“We felt like he’s kind of on our schedule and, look, we spent time on it because it’s a little nebulous relative to the injury. And that’s all I’ll say.”

It was a far cry from when he spoke earlier this month now how Greenlaw's heanth was important for the team's aspirations:

"We are being smart. We’re being conservative relative to the approach. It’s a long season. So most importantly, having him not only healthy early on, but for the long haul is the goal."

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Justin Strnad stepping up for Broncos again after Dre Greenlaw's injury

In the wake of Dre Greenlaw's injury, the Broncos have made some moves. Fullback Adam Prentice and linebacker Garrett Wallow have been elevated from the practice squad, but the most impactful will be what happens on the starting lineup.

Justin Strnad, who has spent most of his career as a backup, will be starting for the second time this season. He and Alex Singleton had been repeatedly beaten in pass coverage by rookie tight end Tyler Warren during the Week 2 loss at the Indianapolis Colts, with Sean Payton commenting:

"A part of it was, when you have that balance – there’s conflict: run, play, pass, dropback pass. So, I think being more efficient on first down can calm it down."

Other available linebackers on the roster include Karene Reid, Levelle Bailey, and Jordan Turner.

Edited by Andre Castillo