Denver Broncos Defense Dealt Huge Blow Before New York Jets Game

The New York Jets won’t have one of the Denver Broncos’ best linebackers to contend with during Sunday’s game.

May 23, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton (49) and Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) during organized team activities at Centura Health Training Center. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos placed linebacker Alex Singleton on the season-ending injured list on Wednesday, not only making him unavailable for Sunday’s game with the New York Jets but dealing their defense a huge blow for the rest of the season.

The Broncos (1-2) are coming off a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Singleton played nearly that entire game with the torn ACL. He still finished the game with 10 tackles, which led all Broncos.

To add depth the Broncos signed linebacker Zach Cunningham to their practice squad, joining another linebacker, Kwon Alexander, at Wednesday’s practice.

DNVR Sports appeared to pin-point the play where it happened, as the Broncos intercepted a Baker Mayfield pass.

This is the play Alex Singleton tore his ACL on.

He not only finishes the play, but finishes the game. Alex is incredibly tough.pic.twitter.com/LYUoRcXUXJ

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) September 25, 2024

Singleton, 30 years old, is a well-traveled linebacker who found a home with Denver in 2022. That season he led the team with 163 tackles and followed that up with another terrific campaign in 2023 with 177 tackles.

He was one of Denver’s starting inside linebackers in their 3-4 formation. Justin Strnad is listed behind him on the depth chart.

The Montana State star went undrafted in the NFL in 2015 and he was with three different NFL teams as an unsigned free agent or practice squad members. After the season, he was drafted in the first round (No. 6 overall) by the Calgary Stampeders, a move that jump-started his career.

He played three seasons in Calgary, during which he was named the CFL’s most outstanding defensive player in 2017, earned two CFL All-Star nods in 2017 and 2018 and won a Grey Cup in 2018.

That got him back on the radars of NFL teams and he signed a free agent deal with Philadelphia before the 2019 season. After spending that season as a back-up, he became a part-time starter and highly-productive player, as he had 120 tackles in 2020 and 137 tackles in 2021. In each season he had an interception, both of which he returned for a touchdown. In his one postseason start with Philly in 2021 he had 16 tackles.

Cunningham is a solid NFL veteran who joined the league in 2017 after a career at Vanderbilt, where he was a unanimous all-American and a two-time All-SEC selection.

He led the NFL in solo tackles and combined tackles in 2020 with Houston and was last with Philadelphia in 2023.  

Denver released its first injury report on Wednesday. Singleton was not on it because he was already on injured reserve. Safety JL Skinner (ankle) did not practice, while tight end Nate Atkins (shoulder) and wide receiver Josh Reynolds (Achilles) were limited participants.