When the Broncos start training camp in late July, they’re expecting to have veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw in the fold.

Greenlaw, the March free-agent signing, sustained a quadriceps injury while working out earlier in the offseason.

Payton confirmed reporting by The Denver Post that the former San Francisco 49ers standout avoided a significant tear, which could have required surgery and put the regular season in jeopardy.

“He’s on schedule,” Payton said Saturday afternoon following the Broncos’ second rookie minicamp practice.

“He’s doing great and will be a full participant in training camp. All of that is doing great.”

An early report from San Francisco about the nature of the injury suggested that Greenlaw could miss a substantial portion of the regular season depending on the severity of the injury.

In the end, Greenlaw didn’t need surgery.

“I saw the early reports and, you don’t know how tempted I get sometimes (to respond),” Payton said, a wry smile creasing his face. “I held back. Showed great restraint.”

Payton will be happy if he can turn Greenlaw and fellow veteran Alex Singleton, who tore his ACL in late September, loose in the middle of a Broncos defense that needed reinforcement between the numbers.

Greenlaw’s had major injuries in the past, including a torn Achilles tendon during the Super Bowl in February 2024 that, combined with a calf strain, cost him all but two games of the 2024 regular season.