Denver Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton does not rely on the panic button on the series of zero injuries in the team’s interior seconds of the team, including that of the newcomer appreciated Dre Greenlaw.
On the contrary, this training camp at the start of training, Payton treats the series of unhappy events as an evaluation period for those afflicted on the Totem pole.
“I do not think, well, and I say it respectfully … I read somewhere where it was like the plague of injuries,” said journalists on Thursday. “”[ILB] Alex [Singleton] is back here in six days. So I obviously think that other guys intervene and get these representatives, but strike on wood, fortunately, we were good here during this camp, but it gives us a chance to assess other players. And so you see [ILB Levelle] Bailey, you see the representatives. [ILB Justin] Strnad obviously had a ton of work, but you have a chance. And throughout these exercises, we try to rotate it enough for us to get the right evaluation on these young players, which is important. Our greatest fear would be for someone to go here and end up excelling elsewhere. And so we want to make sure that we do not let it happen.
Greenlaw, who signed a $ 31 million contract in the free agency, is worrying, if only because of a long history of injuries dating back to his time with the 49ers. After healing a quad number, supported earlier during the offseason, he pulled the lame in an individual exercise Thursday with what Payton described as a waterproofing unrelated in the lower body. (Greenlaw, however, was spotted move well to Friday practice.)
Singleton, a veteran colleague who came out of an ACL tear in 2024, suffered a thumbs broke on Monday who was to keep him away for about a week. He has undergone corrective surgery but, like Greenlaw, has since been seen in Broncos Park.
The club also lost the primary reserve that ILB attracted Sanders to a foot injury – the most serious in the group, bringing it out “north of 4 to 6 weeks” and probably led to the short -term injured reserve to start the regular season.
All this created an obvious void in the middle of the defense of Vance Joseph, although the void was surprisingly filled by an improbable source: the former free agent not drafted in the second year, the level of Bailey, who opened his eyes with a game which is “night” of last season, according to Payton.
The Bailey level had a team of monsters against the race earlier. Filled the hole and stopped the esteem on a round, then fired outwards and dropped McLaughlin two games later. Get the most out of his luck.
– Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) July 30, 2025
Proverbially, it is a singular glass that Payton chooses to see half full. Greenlaw and Singleton will come back in time for week 1 while Bailey is becoming a legitimate threat to the position of Sanders ILB3. There is nothing like having too many good players, and that might not have been apparent without a first adversity.
“He spent a few good days. Very good days,” said Payton about Bailey on Tuesday. “I think you get a player in his second year with confidence. He is in good shape. He also looks like an NFL secondary. It’s funny because I remember these post-draft conversation stories and as an hour of recruitment of him. Clearly seen a leap of year 1 in the year 2 with confidence.”
