Broncos Make Final Decision on Pro Bowler Amid Dre Greenlaw Update

The Denver Broncos will have to wait at least one more week before they finally get to see their $31.5 million investment in linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who joins his fellow offseason addition, tight end Evan Engram, as no-gos for Sunday’s tilt against the Los Angeles Chargers.

At 0-2 and searching for some consistency, the Broncos need all hands on deck.

Unfortunately, the high-priced Broncos duo is trending in different directions heading into a critical Week 3 contest.

Broncos Get Encouraging Update About Dre Greenlaw

The Broncos listed Greenlaw among those ruled out for Sunday’s game on the Friday injury report. The decision was to be expected, given the former San Francisco 49ers star has not practiced since August. Greenlaw is navigating his second quad injury since joining Denver.

Greenlaw’s status exact timeline for return remains unclear, but there is some reason for hope.

Per The Denver Post’s Luca Evans, “a source described Greenlaw as ‘day-to-day.’”

The Broncos were able to sign Greenlaw on a relatively cheap contract due to his injury history, which looms large now. Greenlaw has missed multiple games in all but one of his six previous NFL seasons. Broncos head coach Sean Payton expressed little concern about this issue.

“We felt like he’s kind of on our schedule,” Payton told reporters on September 17 when asked why the Broncos decided against placing Greenlaw on one of the reserve lists. “We spent time on it, because it’s a little nebulous relative to the injury, and that’s all I’ll say.”

Payton has decided to remain mum on injuries, over which concerns extend beyond Greenlaw heading into the Chargers tilt.

Evan Engram Continues Troubling Trend

Like Greenlaw, Engram signed with the Broncos amid an extensive injury history, which also looks less flattering in light of his two-year, $23 million deal. Also like Greenlaw, Evans failed to log so much as a limited practice session during the week.

Billed as a potentially game-altering dynamic addition for Bo Nix and the Broncos’ passing game, Engram was limited by his usage before injuries quickly began to mount.

Engram entered Week 2 with a calf injury but played against the Indianapolis Colts.

He entered Week 3 with a back injury, which is a noteworthy new injury for the two-time Pro Bowler. However, Payton said Engram’s injuries have not impacted his playing time when active.

“I think it’s probably too early to tell [how Engram has played],” Payton told reporters on September 19. “Certainly, he’s gonna play a big role for us.

“Two games in, it’s [too early to tell].”

Broncos Clear All-Pro Duo

There was no shortage of good news for the Broncos, despite the tremendously unfortunate developments with Engram and Greenlaw.

The team cleared five players, four of whom will start against the Chargers.

Linebacker Justin Strnad upgraded to a full practice on Friday after a foot injury limited him earlier in the week. He joins Alex Singleton, who was a full participant all week, as Greenlaw’s replacement.

The Broncos also cleared outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and fellow former All-Pro, safety Talanoa Hufanaga.

They will have tight end and part-time fullback Nate Adkins, too.

That is all encouraging as the Broncos look to bounce back against a formidable foe, but Engram and Greenlaw were brought in for a reason. Their absences loom large for the Broncos at a critical early juncture of the season.

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Linked to NFC Powerhouse

The Cleveland Browns traded up in the fifth round of the NFL Draft to land Shedeur Sanders, likely aware that another team was waiting to pounce.

Sanders’ much-discussed slide from a projected early first-rounder to No. 144 overall ended in Cleveland. Multiple teams had interest in Sanders as a developmental prospect, including the previously reported Baltimore Ravens and the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, according to former NFL MVP Cam Newton.

“My source tells me that it wasn’t just the Baltimore Ravens. It was three teams. The Cleveland Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles, and it was also the Baltimore Ravens,” Newton said on his podcast recently. “The Philadelphia Eagles — Jalen Hurts has been nothing less than the model citizen. And of course, he’s thinking to himself like, you’re talking about development, you’re talking about preparing him to be a potential starting quarterback.”

The Eagles held pick No. 145. The Browns traded two late-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks to leapforg Philly.

Shedeur Sanders Unlikely to See Field With Browns

Both the Ravens and Eagles already have entrenched starters — two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and Hurts — meaning Sanders likely faced a long road if he ended up with either franchise.

“All money ain’t good money,” Newton said. “He knew he wouldn’t play unless Lamar or Jalen got hurt.”

Still, his path in Cleveland looks similar. He enters the season as the No. 3 quarterback behind 40-year-old Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. The former Colorado star is not expected to see the field this year.

“For all the football conspiracy theorists out there trying to decode the real reason the Cleveland Browns drafted Shedeur Sanders, here’s the truth: There is no big secret. The pick wasn’t some master plan from ownership,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported. “It was GM Andrew Berry’s call, rooted in his belief that Cleveland’s coaching staff could bring out the best in Sanders and help him grow into an NFL quarterback. It will be a process, and the Browns want to keep developing him.

“Don’t plan on seeing the fifth-round pick on the field this season unless things get really weird. Cleveland believes in Joe Flacco’s experience and Dillon Gabriel’s development as the backup.”

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Dodges Question on Draft

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that the Ravens had planned to select Sanders in the fifth round of the draft, but the former Colorado standout told Baltimore not to take him. According to Schefter, Sanders made it clear he didn’t want to join a roster with Jackson and settle into a backup role.

Sanders was asked about the report following Cleveland’s loss to Baltimore and declined to give clarity.

“My response is I’m focused on the now,” Sanders said. “I don’t really talk about anything in the past, and whatever happened in the past, it is what it is. I’m more focused on how this game went and figuring out how to move forward from here.

“You wouldn’t even believe, my memory doesn’t go back that far. I don’t even remember anything post-draft. I just remember I’m here, I go to practice every day, and it’s a 24-hour rule. … It serves no purpose in my life.”

The Browns face the Green Bay Packers this week. Flacco remains the starter, although calls are beginning to grow for Gabriel to take over.

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