Denver Broncos star Alex Singleton makes game-saving play in first outing since cancer diagnosis

Alex Singleton capped his emotional NFL return on Sunday night with a game-saving play for the Denver Broncos in his first outing since undergoing cancer surgery.

The 31-year-old linebacker, who had an emergency op to remove a cancerous tumor from one of his testicles earlier this month, was back in action for Denver against the Washington Commanders just weeks on from his major procedure.

And with the Broncos leading 20-17, Singleton produced a clutch deflection to deny Commanders tight end Zach Ertz what would have been a huge catch in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter.

Singleton shocked the NFL on November 10 when he announced that he had been under the knife just hours after playing in his team’s Thursday Night Football win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

He missed a big win over the Kansas City Chiefs on November 16, but was able to make a remarkable return just 23 days on from his surgery.

In a bombshell statement posted on social media on November 10, Singleton revealed the news, writing: ‘Thankfully, we believe the cancer was caught early with a great prognosis for me and my family.

‘While we are still awaiting some additional test results, I fully expect to return to the field in the coming weeks.’

In his statement, the linebacker revealed that he found out the news on the Monday, played on as planned on the Thursday and underwent surgery on the Friday.

He first received news that something was awry after a random drugs test by the NFL, being notified later that he had elevated levels of the hormone hcG in his system.

He then booked an appointment with a urologist, revealing: ‘I visited Dr Andrew Zilavy who determined that, in fact, I had signs of a testicular tumor.

‘I immediately contacted the Broncos, and they put me in contact with Dr Geoff Ledgerwood, who was able to conduct an ultrasound immediately to confirm the diagnosis.

‘And then Friday, after playing in the Raiders game the previous night, I underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and begin the road to a full recovery.’

He went on to explain that he ‘wrestled with sharing such personal information publicly’, but was keen to push others to ‘pay closer attention to their body’ in case of any similar issues. 

Singleton is currently enjoying the best season of his career, with the Broncos now 10-2 and a serious contender to win the Super Bowl.