Alex Singleton announced to his teammates today that he recently underwent surgery for testicular cancer. The veteran linebacker will be absent from the Broncos for the time being but offered an encouraging statement on his status.
“I shared with my teammates and coaches that I underwent successful surgery on Friday for testicular cancer after being diagnosed last week,” Singleton posted on X. “Thankfully, we believe the cancer was caught early… While we are still awaiting some test results, I fully expect to return to the field in the coming weeks.”
Singleton was selected for random drug testing by the NFL recently. His results indicated the presence of the hormone hcG, which prompted the seventh-year veteran to consult a urologist. The diagnosis was confirmed shortly thereafter. Singleton still managed to play in the Broncos’ Week 10 game on Thursday night; his surgery took place the following day.
The 31-year-old confirmed (via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post) he will miss at least this week’s matchup with the Chiefs. Singleton is hopeful he will be back in action relatively soon, though. Provided that takes place, his return will give the Broncos’ elite defense a boost.
Singleton has been a core part of a unit that ranks third in both points allowed and total defense. His 89 tackles lead the Broncos and rank fifth in the NFL, putting him on pace for similar production as his stellar 2022 and 2023 seasons. Those were his first two years in Denver; his third was cut short by a torn ACL in Week 3, though Singleton played the whole game despite suffering the injury in the first quarter.
Singleton’s professional career technically started in the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2015, but he never rose above the practice squad as a rookie. Instead, he made his name in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders, earning a Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award in 2017, a Grey Cup championship in 2018, and a CFL All-Star nod in each year. That drew him plenty of NFL interest, and Singleton opted to join the Eagles in 2019. He played for three years in Philadelphia, starting out as a special teams contributor and quickly growing into their starting No. 2 linebacker.
Hopefully, Singleton can quickly put this health scare behind him and return to leading the Broncos defense as they look to continue their excellent start and make a deep playoff run.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this story.