The time has finally come for the Denver Broncos to remove the bubble wrap around linebacker Dre Greenlaw. After signing a three-year, $31.5 million contract, the former San Francisco 49ers standout has yet to make his Broncos debut, due to a quad injury.

This was about money, sure. More so, this was about a locker room. And a chance to be Batman, not Robin to Fred Warner. And most of all, about being valued — the concept that Dre Greenlaw

The Broncos could have linebacker Dre Greenlaw in the lineup for the first time this season when they face the Giants on Sunday.

Dre Greenlaw may be nearing his Denver Broncos debut, but the impending decision has come at the expense of another player.

Which leads to another sign pointing towards Greenlaw playing Sunday: The Broncos cleared a spot on their 53-man roster Friday by releasing veteran No. 3 quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The intent is to sign Ehlinger back to the Broncos’ practice squad and perhaps fill his roster spot with Greenlaw.

As he nears return from a recurring quad injury, the Denver Broncos are still waiting for Dre Greenlaw to take the field. The franchise is hoping the three-year, $31.5 million deal they gave to Greenlaw in the offseason will help transform what is already a potent Denver defense into arguably the best in the NFL.

The Broncos hoped they could keep the talented linebacker healthy, but Greenlaw's luck with the injury bug hasn't changed yet. The Broncos kept him on the 53-man roster to open the regular season, but in the face of minimal progress with that quad, the team ultimately opted to take the pressure off of him and place him on IR ahead of Week 3.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Both outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper (quad) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quad) remained limited participants on Thursday as the Broncos continued to prepare for a Week 7 game against the Giants. Cooper and Greenlaw were also limited in practice on Wednesday.