With Denver Broncos training camp on the horizon, the biggest question surrounding the team’s inside linebacker unit has more to do with health and development than anything else.
Denver Broncos Training Camp: Can Broncos linebackers stay healthy?
When Denver Broncos veterans report for training camp on July 22, Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw will be ready to go as they headline the inside linebacker position going into 2025.
Singleton recovered from his ACL surgery from last season and is set to start taking team reps in training camp after participating in individual drills during the team’s offseason program. Joining Singleton will be Greenlaw, one of the Broncos’ top offseason acquisitions in free agency.
Greenlaw suffered a quad injury during workouts in April but is expected to be fully ready to go come the start of Denver’s first practice.
Let’s take a look at some of the position battles facing this team in July.
Broncos training camp battles to watch for at linebacker
Dre Greenlaw is the lone guaranteed starter right now heading into training camp. Alex Singleton, while he’s been the longstanding starter since 2022, he’ll likely have some competition for the starting gig based on what the Broncos’ said during the offseason.
Back at the NFL Combine, general manager George Paton outlined third-year linebacker Drew Sanders as somebody they believe can be a starter in this league. In free agency, the Broncos re-signed Justin Strnad, who started eight games in 2024 and appeared in all 17.
When Strnad re-signed, he said that the Broncos told him that he’d come in and compete to start. With that said, everything is setting up for Singleton, Strnad, and Sanders to compete for the starting gig next to Greenlaw this upcoming season.
Denver’s linebacker room also has a handful of younger players in the mix who are looking to compete for depth roles on special teams.
Levelle Bailey, JB Brown, Karene Reid, and Jordan Turner are vying for those opportunities.
Bailey made the Broncos’ 53-man roster in 2024 initially with a strong preseason display and saw crucial special teams snaps down the stretch, leading into Denver’s playoff run. Turner, Reid, and Brown are this year’s undrafted rookie free agents, and they’ll get plenty of reps throughout the summer to impress the coaching staff.
Outside of establishing their starters, the biggest question facing this linebacker room is whether or not they can remain healthy throughout the season. With Greenlaw’s recent injury history and Singleton coming off a major injury, the Broncos are seemingly banking on them coming back fully healthy, with player development being an emphasis for others in that room behind them.