WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Sean Payton has been coaching in the NFL since 1997, and he’s never seen a player battle through an injury the way Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton did last Sunday at Tampa Bay.
The Broncos on Wednesday placed Singleton on a season-ending injured reserve due to a torn ACL suffered late in the first quarter of the 26-7 win over the Buccaneers. He will have surgery in about two weeks.
Payton, Denver’s coach, said after a practice at The Greenbrier resort that Singleton suffered the injury on Denver's eighth play on defense, an interception by safety Brandon Jones. He then played all of the final 49 snaps from scrimmage.
“He played (more than three quarters) of the game with (the injury),’’ Payton said of Singleton playing all 57 snaps. “It was kind of remarkable. Then he reported (that) he felt a little soreness. ... It's unusual for a player to feel asymptomatic, if you will.
“It was tough news. … I've had players that have had ACL (tears), but I've never seen one in this fashion. … I've never seen one where he felt like he could have played another game that night.”
The injury is a big blow to the Broncos’ defense. Singleton was their leading tackle in each the past two years and this season was named one of Denver’s captains. He was leads the Broncos (1-2) this season with 31 tackles, including getting eight of the team-high 10 he had against the Buccaneers after his injury.
“Not the way I expected my 2024 season to end,'' Singleton wrote on social media. "But I am not going to let it define me. Here for the BOYZ all season long. Everyone else see you in 2025!”
With Singleton going to injured reserve, the Broncos signed running back Tyler Badie off the practice squad to the active roster. They also added inside linebackers Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham to the practice squad, one taking Badie’s spot and the other the open spot from when wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey was signed last Saturday to the active roster.
“We’ve got a lot of options,’’ Payton said of replacing Singleton. “We’ve got a handful of guys. We’ve got probably two or three different options.”
Payton declined to go into specifics. For Sunday’s game at the New York Jets (2-1), Cody Barton is expected to be one of the two starters at inside linebacker. Singleton’s spot could be filled by Kristian Welch.
Payton said that after Singleton reported some knee soreness following the game he had an MRI, and the result became known Sunday night when the Broncos were still in Tampa. He had swelling Monday morning but made the trip that day to West Virginia, where the Broncos are practicing in between two road games in the Eastern Time Zone.
“It’s a tough blow, a tough loss, honestly,’’ said Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II. “He’s a key leader to our team and losing a guy like that, it’s pretty hard. But obviously everybody’s rallying behind him.”
Surtain said he had no idea during the game Singleton had been injured. On the interception by Jones on a play that began with 5:25 left in the first quarter, Singleton first comes up limping in the play without contact and is then is hit.
“Honestly, I couldn’t tell,’’ Surtain said. “He played lights out with a missing ACL, so that’s just the testament to the type of player he is. Alex is a true competitor, a true warrior.’’
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix called Singleton’s injury “really tough” and said “you can’t replace a guy like Alex.” But Nix expects players to “rise up” after the injury.
“If there’s something that could tie into explaining Alex in one thing, I would just point that one out,’’ Nix said of Singleton continuing to play after suffering his injury. “He’s the type of guy who tears his ACL (eight) plays into the game and goes out there and finishes the game.”
Nix said he had an inkling at halftime that Singleton had some sort of injury but that the linebacker shrugged it off.
Of the two linebackers the Broncos signed, Alexander is in his 10th season and Cunningham in his eighth. Alexander made the Pro Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2017 and played for Payton in New Orleans in 2020 and 2021.
“He’s a good player,’’ Payton said of Alexander.
Denver promoted Badie to take Singleton’s place on the 53-man roster after he had been elevated from the practice squad the past two weeks. Badie had one remaining elevation but the Broncos locked him up after he had nine carries for 70 yards against the Buccaneers, including a 43-yard jaunt in the fourth quarter.
“He’s had some big runs for us,’’ Payton said. “He’s smart. He knows the system. He’s good in the passing game. He brings a lot.”
Badie is back on the 53-man roster for the first time since he was signed for the final game of the 2022 season. He then was on the practice squad in 2023 and to start this season.
“It was a great feeling,’’ Badie said of the promotion. “All the work I’ve put in, I’m just grateful for the opportunity. The biggest thing is I just want to win games.”
With Denver looking to win again on the road, Badie might play a bigger role against the Jets. But the Broncos will have to make up for the loss of Singleton.
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