Denver Broncos co-captain and leading tackler, Alex Singleton, underwent surgery for testicular cancer on Friday, less than 24 hours after delivering a standout performance with nine tackles in a 10-7 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Remarkably, Singleton played in the game just four days after receiving his cancer diagnosis.
He is set to miss this weekend's crucial match against the Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) but remains optimistic about returning to action in the coming weeks. The Broncos are scheduled for a bye week following their encounter with the Chiefs.
"Our No. 1 priority is Alex’s health and well-being, and we are grateful it appears the cancer was caught early," the Broncos stated in a message posted on X.
Singleton informed his teammates and coaches during Monday’s team meeting that he had undergone surgery for testicular cancer, which was diagnosed a week prior after a routine NFL drug test revealed abnormalities.
Following his announcement to the team, Singleton spoke with reporters on a conference call.
He explained that he was able to compartmentalise his cancer diagnosis and play against the Raiders days later because "football’s always been an outlet for me." His nine tackles on Thursday night contributed to the Broncos’ 8-2 record and their seventh consecutive victory.
He had surgery the next morning to remove the tumour, and he confirmed that a CT scan indicated the cancer had not spread.
"The short week honestly made it better," Singleton remarked. "On Tuesday, Wednesday, I got to fully immerse myself in football and... get this off of my mind as much as I could because we weren’t going to know anything until after the surgery anyway — and still don’t 100% know everything.
"So, the biggest thing for me was how to get my mind off it, so football was the best thing to do that. Playing Thursday night here in our throwbacks made me able to block out everything that was going on in my mind."
Singleton expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from his teammates, coaches, management, and ownership, stating, "I feel like I’m disappointing them having to miss a game. That’s how I feel about it. It’s such a shock and such news to me. So, just to have the support and just love from them means so much."
Moving forward, Singleton intends to advocate for early screening for testicular cancer.
"This journey I’m going to continue talking about it and sharing it with you guys and everybody else just knowing that there shouldn’t be a big stigma behind it," Singleton affirmed.
"Yeah, we can get the word out to get everybody screened and checked. Don’t be afraid of the doctor, because I was for a long time."
Linebacker Justin Strnad, who will deputise for Singleton, commented that Singleton playing a game with the diagnosis hanging over him "doesn’t surprise me."
He added, "He’s the ultimate competitor, ultimate team player. He had the knee (surgery) 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 and we’re all going to be here to help him through it."
The Broncos are already without star cornerback Pat Surtain II, who is recovering from a strained pectoral muscle and will also miss this weekend’s game.
Singleton typically wears the ‘green dot’ on his helmet, which facilitates communication with the coaches, so his absence will necessitate several tactical adjustments.
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