Dre Greenlaw didn’t sugarcoat what his lone season in Denver felt like.
The 49ers linebacker, back in San Francisco this offseason after a one-year run with the Broncos, said his relationship with head coach Sean Payton started out well enough before injuries changed everything. Greenlaw said the trust he thought he had began to slip after the setbacks piled up.
“We were good, especially when I first came in,” Greenlaw said, via Michael Silver of The Athletic. “ And then you pop your quad, people start looking at you.
Then, when we played the Jaguars (on Dec. 21), I had a little bit of a hamstring (injury).
After that, you kind of feel when the coach is, like, not really messing with you. I felt alone.”
He also said the injuries kept him from really connecting with the rest of the roster.
“I never felt like I was a part of the team because I wasn’t (out) there,” Greenlaw said. “I was always in the training room. I knew the trainers more than I knew the teammates.”
Even with that experience, Greenlaw said he isn’t pointing the finger at Denver.
“I don’t blame anything on the Broncos,” Greenlaw said. “Coming off the Achilles and the calf (injuries), I just wasn’t in the shape that I needed to be to go out there with them and give it all I got.
I should have taken it slow. (But) naturally, they’d just paid me, so that’s all I wanted to do - go show them what I could do.
And it bit me in the ass, the second day I got there.”
Elsewhere in Denver, Sean Payton said quarterback Bo Nix will sit out the Broncos’ first preseason game. Jarrett Stidham will start, with Sam Ehlinger following him. Payton also said center Michael Deiter suffered a season-ending quad injury and will need surgery.
In Kansas City, Rashee Rice opened up about his jail time this offseason and called it a wake-up call.
“It was a reality check. It’s in the past. I’m focused on the future,” Rice said.
He said his attention is fully on the team right now.
“I’m 100% locked in on what is going on with the team. I’ve got a good brotherhood behind me,” Rice said.
Rice was also asked about the motivation that comes with a contract year, but he kept the focus on the present.
“Being able to be back on the field with my brothers right now is motivating. That’s in the future,” he said.
And when asked what he wants to sharpen most this season, Rice pointed to the distribution of the offense rather than any single personal goal.
“I want to improve the most on certain plays that I know specifically aren’t coming to me… Everybody has got to eat, and everybody has got to get the ball,” Rice said.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Patrick Mahomes will not play in Saturday’s preseason opener. Reid also said safety Chamarri Conner was held out of Thursday’s practice after banging knees with Tyquan Thornton on Wednesday.
There was also some praise from inside the Kansas City defensive line room. Chris Jones had strong words for first-round defensive tackle Peter Woods, saying, “He’s strong, a young bull.
He has the skillset. He’s strong as an ox.
He’s willing to learn. I think he’s going to contribute to this defense a lot this season.”
Out in Las Vegas, one of the quieter camp battles is starting to get some noise at kicker. The Raiders have plenty of attention on their quarterback situation as they continue to say they’ll slow-play the No. 1 pick, but Matt Gay is getting a real challenge from rookie undrafted free agent Kansei Matsuzawa.
Matsuzawa, the Japanese-born kicker nicknamed the “Tokyo Toe” at Hawaii, came back from spring workouts with more leg strength, and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis said the race is genuine.
“You can see a little bit more power in his kicks,” DeCamillis said. “I’m pleased with where he’s at, but he’s got a lot of work to do left. It’s a legitimate competition.”
Matsuzawa would qualify for the international player exemption, which gives the Raiders the option to keep him on the practice squad if he clears waivers. For now, he says Gay has been helpful through the process.
“I have a great mentor in Matt,” Matsuzawa said. “I’m grateful to work with him.
… My journey is a little unique, a little different. I have a good routine, work ethic.
And then I just trust my process. … [I’ve] got to be elite level in the NFL so I’m working on a better routine.
Obviously, I’ve got to take care of my body well. I think it’s been amazing so far, yeah.”
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