Photo courtesy: Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos.
Former star CFL linebacker Alex Singleton was all over the field for the Denver Broncos in the team’s AFC Divisional Round overtime playoff win against the Buffalo Bills.
Singleton recorded a game-high 14 defensive tackles, 11 solo, and forced a key fumble in the second quarter. He flew to his right and put a textbook tackle on running back James Cook, which knocked the ball loose as safety Talanoa Hufanga recovered.
“There were so many plays. Alex caused one,” head coach Sean Payton said when asked about his defence’s five turnovers.
The 2017 Most Outstanding Defensive Player’s jarring hit provided a momentum-changing play for his team. Buffalo was on Denver’s 32-yard line when the ball was snapped with the Bills leading 7-3. If the opposition went on to score, it might have been a different football game. However, Singleton’s forced turnover led to a touchdown.
Former CFL MODP Alex Singleton tackle teach tape, forces James Cook to fumble. #Denver #BroncosCountry #Broncos #NFL @alexsingleton49 #CFL pic.twitter.com/K12Mzqce09
— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) January 17, 2026
Singleton played 16 games during the 2025 regular season. He registered 135 total defensive tackles, 54 solo, four passes defended, one sack and one forced fumble. The 32-year-old missed one game in November after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour.
The Thousand Oaks, Calif. qualified for Canadian citizenship following his collegiate career at Montana State University. The Calgary Stampeders selected him in the first round, sixth overall during the 2016 CFL Draft. He played three seasons with the team, recording 123 tackles over his final two years, earned two CFL all-star selections along with his MODP award.
The six-foot-two, 240-pound linebacker has earned over $20.6 million USD during his eight-year NFL career. He’s notched 768 total tackles, 436 solo, 25 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits, 17 pass knockdowns, five sacks, five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, in 95 regular-season games, 66 starts, with Philadelphia and Denver.