Denver Broncos' linebacker Dre Greenlaw has his choice of teams in free agency, but he chose the Denver for a particular reason that took him back to his childhood.
Broncos’ Dre Greenlaw Opens up on Why He Chose Denver originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Denver Broncos signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw this offseason to a three-year, $31.5 million contract. The veteran linebacker spent the first six years of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Broncos.
With Broncos' training camp underway, Greenlaw spoke to the media earlier this week and opened up on why he chose Denver when he hit free agency this offseason.
"They wanted me, you know what I mean?" Greenlaw said (NBC Sports). "Throughout the whole time I was talking to Sean, there was never no ifs, ands, buts, maybe this or that. It was like, 'Man, we want you to be here.'
POWERFUL: Star linebacker Dre Greenlaw says he signed with the #Broncos because they wanted him.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 29, 2025
“I was a foster kid growing up. Not a lot of people wanted me. They (the Broncos) wanted me.”
Dre was homeless and in foster care during his childhood.pic.twitter.com/IsVyG3yqwq
"And I was a foster kid growing up, so there's not a lot of times that people just wanted me. You know what I'm saying? So it just made me feel special. It made me feel like this is the place where I needed to be."
When a player hits free agency, money is often the main factor in their decision, but Greenlaw demonstrated the personal side of the decision. He wanted to play on a team that valued him.
Growing up, Greenlaw lived in foster care and group homes until his high school coach adopted him. That close relationship with his coach was a huge contributing factor to the type of relationship he wanted with his future coaches.
The conversations Greenlaw had through the decision process with head coach Sean Payton, the Penner family, and the team were ultimately what led the linebacker to know Denver was the place for him.
"The people that's in the organization, Sean, the Penners, and then the guys . . . I just wanted to be a part of that," Greenlaw said. "I wanted to be where I was accepted, where I was wanted it. And this was the right place for me."
Along with Greenlaw, the Broncos signed safety Talanoa Hufanga this offseason, who also spent the last four years with the 49ers. The Broncos' defense was one of the top units in the NFL in 2024, and they look set to get even better in 2025.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
