The Denver Broncos' playoff run ended one step short of the Super Bowl, and for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, that meant a missed opportunity at a second shot at the big game-this time under Sean Payton instead of Kyle Shanahan. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it also offered Greenlaw a unique vantage point: a chance to experience two of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds from the defensive side of the ball.
Greenlaw didn’t hold back when comparing the two head coaches. “Sean’s old school,” he said, laying out the grind-it-out mentality Payton brings to the practice field.
“He’s going to do six days on, one day off. You’re going to be practicing three hours on Wednesday, three hours on Friday.”
That’s a stark contrast to Shanahan, who Greenlaw described as “the complete opposite.”
It’s an interesting window into two very different coaching philosophies-both successful, both innovative, but clearly divergent in how they prepare their teams. Payton leans into a traditional, high-rep approach, while Shanahan opts for a more modern, perhaps more player-rest-conscious model. For a veteran like Greenlaw, who’s seen both sides, the adjustment wasn’t just physical-it was mental.
And that’s where things got even more intriguing. Greenlaw described learning Payton’s system as “like freakin’ Spanish” at first.
That’s not just a throwaway line-it speaks to the cerebral challenge defenders face when transitioning between schemes, especially when both coaches, despite their different styles, share similar offensive terminology and concepts. It’s a testament to how much of the game is won not just on the field, but in the film room and playbook.
Still, Greenlaw made it clear he found his footing. “I feel comfortable with the progress that I did make and the steps that I did take,” he said. That’s a big statement from a player who was thrown into the fire in a new system, on a new team, with lofty expectations.
And those expectations were justified. The Broncos signed Greenlaw to a $35 million deal last March, betting big on his experience, leadership, and playmaking ability.
That investment helped spark what fans in Denver are calling the rebirth of the “Orange Crush” defense. Alongside breakout linebacker Nik Bonitto, Greenlaw helped anchor a unit that finished the season ranked No. 2 overall-no small feat in today’s offense-heavy NFL.
In the AFC title game loss to New England, Greenlaw recorded six tackles, though none were solo. It wasn’t the performance he or the Broncos had hoped for, but it underscores just how tight and physical that matchup was. A 10-7 final score tells you everything you need to know: this was a defensive slugfest, and Greenlaw was in the thick of it.
While the season didn’t end with confetti, Greenlaw’s journey in Denver is just getting started. The Broncos have found a leader who’s not only adjusting to a new system but thriving in it. And if the defense continues on this trajectory, Greenlaw may very well get that second Super Bowl shot-this time wearing orange and blue.