Broncos LB Alex Singleton Tore His ACL In First Quarter, Still Played Every Snap In Win Over Bucs

Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton is out for the season with an ACL tear. But he'd probably just play on it if doctors would let him.

Singleton suffered the injury in the first quarter — on the eighth snap, to be exact — of Denver's 26-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. But he still went on to play the remaining 48 defensive snaps to finish the game.

"That's crazy, man," Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said, speaking for all of us.

The 30-year-old reportedly suffered the tear in his left knee during safety Brandon Jones' interception of Bucs' QB Baker Mayfield. Singleton limped off the field after the play but didn't recognize the severity of his injury.

"If I had to explain Alex in one thing, I would just point that one out," Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said Wednesday. "… I don't think anybody really even knew. … It just shows how tough he is, shows how much of a leader he is that whatever he can do for the team, he's going to go out there and put his body on the line. It exemplifies what it means to be a captain, and that's why he's one of ours."

After the game, he told Denver's medical staff that he had some soreness in his knee. He underwent an MRI in Tampa before the team flew out on Monday.

"First time; I've had players who had ACLs ... [but] never seen one where he felt like he could have played another game that night," Payton said. "Kind of remarkable ... never seen anyone play, obviously, that long [after the injury]."

Singleton's presence will certainly be missed. The former Montana State Bobcat has played in every game for the Broncos since he signed with the team in 2022. He led the team in tackles in each of the previous two seasons, with 163 and 177, respectively. And he currently leads the Broncos in tackles this season with 31.

The Broncos are practicing in West Virginia this week ahead of their road match-up with the New York Jets. Team officials made the decision to stay in the Eastern Time Zone in order to avoid the stress and jet lag of back-to-back cross-country trips. Singleton is with the team in West Virginia, and he will undergo surgery in a couple of weeks.