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Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton.
In a professional career that’s already been full of some crazy twists and turns, why not another one for Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold predicts Singleton will be the next Denver defender to receive a contract extension, and while it won’t be in the realm of what the high-end prices other players on the defense have gotten recently, it’s pretty remarkable for a lot of different reasons.
Singleton is in the final season of the 3-year, $18 million contract he signed before the 2023 season and a new deal for him would likely be in the neighborhood of a 2-year, $15 million contract.
“Singleton, who turned 32 on Dec. 7 and had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor last month, has spoken about ‘just appreciating every moment I have in this game,’ ” Legwold wrote. “The Broncos have signed several players to extensions over the past two seasons, leaving Singleton and defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers as their highest-profile unrestricted free agents in March. Singleton moved to middle linebacker this season to accommodate the arrival of Dre Greenlaw, and Singleton has flourished with his fifth 100-tackle season in the past six years. Though he likely won’t get a long-term deal because of his age, the Broncos will want him back. As inside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding said: ‘He’s at Ph.D. level.’ ”
Singleton’s Incredible Journey Back to Lineup
The 2025 season has been one for the record books for the Broncos, who are 12-2 and winners of 11 consecutive games headed into a Week 16 home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
No one’s journey has been more incredible than Singleton, who underwent surgery for testicular cancer on November 7 after the disease was detected in a random drug test.
Singleton missed just one game before he returned with 6 tackles and 2 pass deflections in a 27-26 overtime win over the Washington Commanders in Week 13.
Despite missing one game, Singleton still leads the Broncos with 111 tackles.
Improbable Path to NFL Stardom
Singleton, 32 years old, is in his fourth season with the Broncos and in the final season of a 3-year, $18 million contract.
After starring at Montana State and going undrafted, Singleton spent 2 years on the practice squads for the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in 2015 and 2016.
He spent 3 seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders, where he was a 2-time All-CFL pick in 2017 and 2018, was named CFL West Division Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and won the Grey Cup in 2018.
That means Singleton didn’t even play his first NFL game until 2019 with the Philadelphia Eagles, when he was 26 years old. He spent 3 seasons with the Eagles before signing a 1-year, $1.1 million contract with the Broncos in 2022.
Singleton has been a tackling machine since joining the Broncos, with 163 tackles in 2022 followed by 173 tackles in 2023. He tore his ACL in the first quarter of Week 3 of the 2024 regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but still finished the game.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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