Alex Singleton (linebacker)

Alex Reed Singleton (born December 7, 1993) is an American professional football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Montana State and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks after the 2015 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Calgary Stampeders, and Philadelphia Eagles.

Alex Singleton
refer to caption
Singleton with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022
No. 49 – Denver Broncos
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1993-12-07) December 7, 1993 (age 31)
Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school:Thousand Oaks (CA)
College:Montana State (2011–2014)
CFL draft:2016 / round: 1 / pick: 6
Undrafted:2015
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles:633
Sacks:4.0
Forced fumbles:2
Fumble recoveries:5
Interceptions:3
Defensive touchdowns:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Career CFL statistics
Total tackles:328
Sacks:4.0
Interceptions:1
Stats at CFL.ca

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 2+14 in
(1.89 m)
233 lb
(106 kg)
31+12 in
(0.80 m)
9+14 in
(0.23 m)
4.65 s 1.64 s 2.68 s 4.25 s 7.13 s 31.0 in
(0.79 m)
10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)
15 reps
All values from Pro Day[1]

Seattle Seahawks

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Singleton was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Seattle Seahawks on May 8, 2015. He signed a three-year contract worth $1,578,500 and received a $3,500 signing bonus. On September 5, he was released.[2]

New England Patriots

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Three days later, Singleton was signed to the practice squad of the New England Patriots.[3] He was released on September 15, 2015.

Minnesota Vikings

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Singleton was signed to the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad on December 22, 2015.[4] He was released on April 13, 2016.

Calgary Stampeders

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Singleton was selected by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 CFL Draft. He had acquired a Canadian passport in October 2015, having qualified for dual citizenship because his mother was born in Toronto. Under then-recently implemented CFL rules, Singleton's Canadian citizenship automatically qualified him to be counted as a Canadian "national" player – previously, players who did not play a meaningful part of their amateur football careers in Canada were counted as "international" players even if they were Canadian citizens. Singleton signed with the team on May 17, 2016. He made his CFL debut on June 25, 2016, against the BC Lions.[5]

Singleton had an exceptional first season in the CFL and quickly became one of the Stampeders important players on defense.[6] Over the course of the season, he played in all 18 regular season games, and the Stamps two playoff games. He contributed 65 defensive tackles, 9 special teams tackles, and 3 forced fumbles.

On November 1, 2017, Singleton was announced as the team's nominee for the CFL's most outstanding defensive player, most outstanding Canadian and most outstanding player awards, including sweeping all votes in the defensive and Canadian player categories. His 121 tackles going into week 20 of the CFL season were already the most in Calgary Stampeders history.[7]

Singleton's 2018 season matched the previous year in tackles with 123. Although he recorded no sacks, Singleton did add 6 special teams tackles for the Stamps, as well as 2 forced fumbles and was named to his second CFL All-Star team.[8][9] On January 7, Singleton was released by the Stampeders so he could pursue NFL opportunities.[10]

Philadelphia Eagles

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Singleton with the Eagles in 2021

On January 7, 2019, Singleton signed with the Philadelphia Eagles along with CFL teammate Marken Michel.[11]

Singleton played in all four preseason games for the Eagles, and contributed with 28 defensive tackles and one forced fumble. He was waived during final roster cuts on August 30, 2019,[12] but was re-signed to the team's practice squad the next day.[13] On October 16, 2019, Singleton was promoted to the active roster following the release of linebacker Zach Brown.[14] He played in 10 games, only on special teams.

In Week 4 of 2020 against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football, Singleton went into the game on defense due to an injury to T. J. Edwards. With less than 6 minutes remaining in the game, Singleton recorded his first career interception off a pass thrown by Nick Mullens and returned it for a 30-yard touchdown during the 25–20 win.[15] By Week 6, Singleton became a starting linebacker for the Eagles. In Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns, Singleton led the team with 12 tackles, sacked Baker Mayfield once, and recovered a fumble lost by Mayfield during the 22–17 loss.[16] In Week 17 against the Washington Football Team on Sunday Night Football, Singleton led the team with 14 tackles and sacked Alex Smith once during the 20–14 loss.[17] Overall, Singleton played in all regular season games with 11 starts and led the Eagles in tackles at 120. As a result, he earned an additional $464,296 through performance-based pay.[18]

On March 1, the Eagles placed a one-year exclusive-rights free agent tender on Singleton, which he signed on March 25, 2021.[19] On September 6, it was announced that he was voted by his teammates to be a team captain for the 2021 season.[20] After initially playing at the starting linebacker position, he was relegated to backup and replaced by Davion Taylor in Week 6. He was put back into the starting position in Week 12 after an injury to Taylor.[21] In Week 16 against the New York Giants, he caught an interception off a deflection from Rodney McLeod and returned it for a 29-yard touchdown, his second career pick-6.[22] He was placed on the COVID-19 list on January 3, 2022.[23] He was activated one week later on January 10, missing just one game where the Eagles did not play their starters as they had already clinched a playoff spot.[24] Singleton finished the season as the team's leading tackler for the 2nd year in a row with 137, the most in a single season by any Eagle since Byron Evans in 1992.[25] In the wild card game against the Buccaneers, Singleton led the team in tackles with 16, which included 4 tackles for loss and one sack in the 31-15 loss.

Denver Broncos

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On March 18, 2022, Singleton signed a one-year contract with the Denver Broncos reportedly worth $1.1 million guaranteed with $750k in playing time incentives.[26] The move reunited him with quarterback Russell Wilson, whom Singleton had formed a relationship with during his short stint in Seattle.[27]

On October 17, 2022, during a Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Singleton recorded 19 solo tackles and a total of 21 combined tackles in the 19-16 overtime loss. His 19 solo tackles tied Derrick Brooks for the second-most solo tackles in a single game in NFL history.[28] Despite an underwhelming season for the Broncos, Singleton had a career year, ranking 5th in combined tackles during the season with 163.

On March 13, 2023, Singleton signed a three-year, $18 million contract extension with $9 million guaranteed.[29][30]

Prior to the 2024 season, Singleton was voted a captain by his fellow teammates.[31] On the opening drive of the Broncos' Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks, Singleton intercepted a pass by Geno Smith.[32] In Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Singleton ruptured his ACL. Singleton still managed to play every defensive snap for the rest of the game despite his injury occurring in the 1st quarter. He was subsequently placed on season-ending injured reserve on September 25.[33]

Statistics

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Regular season

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League Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
G GS Comb Sack FF FR Yds TD Int Yds Lng TD PD
CFL 2016 CGY 18 0 74 0.0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
CFL 2017 CGY 18 18 125 4.0 1 0 0 0 1 40 40 0 4
CFL 2018 CGY 18 18 129 0.0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
CFL Career 54 36 328 4.0 6 2 0 0 1 40 40 0 9
League Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
G GS Comb Solo Ast TFL Sack FF FR Yds TD Int Yds Lng TD PD
NFL 2019 PHI 10 0 5 2 3 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NFL 2020 PHI 16 11 120 75 45 5 2.0 0 2 1 0 1 30 30 1 1
NFL 2021 PHI 16 8 137 81 56 4 0.0 1 1 0 0 1 29 29 1 4
NFL 2022 DEN 17 12 163 101 62 6 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
NFL 2023 DEN 17 16 177 106 71 6 2.0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
NFL 2024 DEN 3 3 31 17 14 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 21 21 0 1
NFL Career 79 50 633 382 251 22 4.0 2 5 1 0 3 80 30 2 13

Postseason

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League Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
G GS Comb Sack FF FR Yds TD Int Yds Lng TD PD
CFL 2016 CGY 2 0 11 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CFL 2017 CGY 2 2 10 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CFL 2018 CGY 2 2 16 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CFL Career 6 4 37 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
League Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
G GS Comb Solo Ast TFL Sack FF FR Yds TD Int Yds Lng TD PD
NFL 2019 PHI 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NFL 2021 PHI 1 1 16 10 6 4 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NFL Career 2 1 16 10 6 4 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

References

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  1. ^ "Alex Singleton, Montana State, OLB, 2015 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  2. ^ "Alex Singleton Contract Details". overthecap.com. Over The Cap. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  3. ^ Kyed, Doug (September 8, 2015). "Patriots Sign Ex-Seahawks Linebacker Alex Singleton To Practice Squad". nesn.com. New England Sports Network. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  4. ^ Gates, Christopher (December 22, 2015). "Minnesota Vikings Sign Alex Singleton To Practice Squad". dailynorseman.com. Daily Norseman. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  5. ^ "ALEX SINGLETON". stampeders.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  6. ^ "Landry: Stamps' rookie Singleton making it look easy". CFL.ca. October 21, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  7. ^ Busby, Ian (November 1, 2017). "Singleton snags triple honours for Stamps – 3DownNation". 3DownNation. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  8. ^ "Star Power: 2018 CFL Divisional All-Stars announced - CFL.ca". November 7, 2018.
  9. ^ "Stars aligned: 2018 CFL All-Stars unveiled". Canadian Football League. December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  10. ^ "Singleton released by Stamps to pursue NFL job".
  11. ^ Erby, Glenn (January 8, 2019). "Eagles sign star CFL LB Alex Singleton to reserve/futures deal". Eagles Wire. USA Today. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  12. ^ "Eagles announce first wave of roster moves as team works toward 53-player limit". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  13. ^ McPherson, Chris (September 1, 2019). "Eagles agree to terms with nine practice squad players". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  14. ^ Williams, Charean (October 16, 2019). "Eagles promote Alex Singleton". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  15. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers – October 4th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  16. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns - November 22nd, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  17. ^ "Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles - January 3rd, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  18. ^ "Alex Singleton led Eagles in performance-based pay for 2020 season". April 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Erby, Glenn (March 25, 2021). "Alex Singleton under contract for 2021 season after signing exclusive rights tender". USAToday.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  20. ^ McPherson, Chris (September 6, 2021). "Eagles name 2021 captains".
  21. ^ "What Eagles LB Alex Singleton thought about when he got benched". November 27, 2021.
  22. ^ "To the House! Alex Singleton records second career NFL pick-six". December 26, 2021.
  23. ^ Oddo, Jillian (January 3, 2022). "Eagles place 12 players on Reserve/COVID-19 list". PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
  24. ^ Bowman, Paul (January 10, 2022). "Eagles Clear COVID List, Place Three on IR". SportsTalkPhilly.com.
  25. ^ "Alex Singleton Pro Football Reference". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  26. ^ "Broncos agree to terms with LB Singleton on one-year deal". March 18, 2022.
  27. ^ "Broncos LB Singleton happy to reunite with QB Russell Wilson". March 25, 2022.
  28. ^ "NFL Tackles single game leaders (since 1994)". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  29. ^ "Broncos re-sign Alex Singleton to $18 million contract".
  30. ^ DiLalla, Aric (March 16, 2023). "Broncos re-sign ILB Alex Singleton". DenverBroncos.com.
  31. ^ Wells, Adam (September 4, 2024). "Bo Nix Named Broncos Team Captain for 2024 NFL Season Ahead of Rookie Debut". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  32. ^ "ILB Alex Singleton snags Broncos' first interception of 2024 | Broncos at Seahawks". DenverBroncos.com. September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  33. ^ Podell, Garrett (September 25, 2024). "Broncos leading tackler Alex Singleton out for season with ACL tear; LB played majority of Week 3 with injury". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
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