On Monday, Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton announced that he’s been diagnosed with testicular cancer. The Broncos’ team captain actually underwent surgery the day after beating the Las Vegas Raiders 10-7.
The early indications is that Singleton caught the cancer early, but his surgery means he’ll be missing time. How much time? That’s hard for him to say right now, but he’ll be out of the Broncos’ Week 11 game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs for sure.
“I’m not giving an exact timetable yet, but I should recover pretty quickly from the surgery and then get up and running here pretty soon,” Singleton said on Monday. “But I for sure will be missing this weekend.”
The crazy thing is that Singleton was aware of his diagnosis before that Thursday night game, as well as the fact that he’d be undergoing surgery the following day, and yet, he not only played his heart out, finishing with a team-high nine tackles, but he was also on the field for every single snap the Broncos’ defense played.
Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw (57) reacts after a play during the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. / Sean Thomas-Imagn Images
Our thoughts and prayers go to Singleton as he fights this very scary battle. But what effect will his absence have on the Broncos’ defense?
It’s hard to say, at this point. Thankfully, the Broncos got Dre Greenlaw back several weeks ago, and he’s been a mainstay over the past two games, though he’s yet to play a full snap share.
The Broncos will be rolling with Greenlaw and Justin Strnad at inside linebacker until Singleton returns. That decision has been a given, as they’re the Broncos’ two most experienced and highest-paid linebackers aside from Singleton.
On Monday, Strnad shared his support for Singleton, who’d broken the news to his teammates in a morning meeting. Strnad wasn’t stunned by Singleton’s ferocious performance against the Raiders, knowing he’d undergo a frightening procedure the following day to excise a malignant growth.
“It doesn’t surprise me with Alex. He’s shown to be the ultimate competitor and ultimate team player,” Strand said on Monday. “He had the knee [injury] last year. He’s been through a lot in this league, and this is obviously a big obstacle but he’s going to overcome it. We’re all going to be here to help him through it.”
Strnad referenced the ACL injury Singleton suffered in Week 3 of last season, which caused him to miss the rest of the 2024 campaign, and thrust Strnad into a starting role. Singleton worked hard to get back for his team, starting every game so far this season, despite also suffering a fractured thumb in training camp.
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October 19, 2025, Denver, Colorado, USA: Broncos ILB JUSTIN STRNAD gets congrats from team mate ALEX SINGLETON after an interception during the 2nd. Half at Empower Field at Mile High Sunday afternoon. Broncos beat the Giants 33-32. / Hector Acevedo / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
As the player to wear the green dot on his helmet, signifying the radio that receives the play-calls from defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Singleton has shouldered a lot of responsibility. That also means that his absence leaves a big vacuum to fill.
“Anytime the green dot guy and the Mike backer go down in a defense, it obviously has its effects on things, but keep everything in-house as to how that’s going to work out,” Strnad said. “We’re obviously going to prepare to beat the Chiefs. It’s 11 guys on the field, and we’ll get it all figured out and put our best foot forward this week.”
It could be Strnad who’s asked to rock the green dot, as he’s now the linebacker with the most experience in Joseph’s scheme with Singleton out. In fact, it would be a shock if anyone other than Strnad rocks the green dot.
The players around Strnad have been through countless live-bullet action with him, too. As a makeshift leader whose job is to also ensure everyone lines up correctly, he has credibility that resonates.
That’s not to say that Greenlaw is lacking in that department, but he’s only appeared in three games as a Bronco. Strand was drafted by the Broncos and has been in the trenches with his teammates, taking grenades for much longer. He has that shared struggle in common with everyone.
Strnad is obviously more worried about his friend, but Singleton’s diagnosis could be a rallying cry for the Broncos’ defense against arguably their toughest opponent of the season.
“Alex sharing his stuff with us and just the story and everything, and the person that he is, I think everybody’s going to be inspired by him,” Strnad said. “We’re all just going to put our best foot forward and go out and get a victory this week against Kansas City.”
Thankfully, the Broncos re-signed Strnad this past spring to a one-year deal. Singleton is also playing on an expiring contract, so the Broncos will have some big decisions to make in the offseason. That’s a concern for another time, though.
First thing’s first: Singleton has a personal battle to conquer, while the Broncos have divisional war to win.
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