Denver Broncos starting inside linebacker Alex Singleton will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season due to a torn ACL sustained during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3, as announced by coach Sean Payton on Wednesday.
Singleton injured his ACL while playing through an interception return by safety Brandon Jones in the first quarter. He continued to play until he experienced soreness after the game, which led to the discovery of the severity of his injury.
“It’s quite remarkable that he played two-thirds of the game with it,” Payton remarked. “After he reported some soreness, we examined it further, and he will likely have surgery in about two weeks.”
The 30-year-old linebacker recorded 10 tackles in the game against Tampa, bringing his season totals to 31 tackles and one interception across the first three games. The Broncos have three inside linebackers remaining on their active roster: Cody Barton, Kristian Welch, and Justin Strnad. Additionally, rookie Levelle Bailey is on the practice squad, and the team recently signed linebacker Kwon Alexander to the practice squad, with plans to add Zach Cunningham as well.
In another development, the Denver Broncos’ decision to release Russell Wilson after the 2023 NFL season is proving to be wise. An update from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggests Wilson’s calf injury is more severe than initially thought:
“He’s just not moving well right now,” Fowler noted. Meanwhile, Justin Fields has effectively managed the conservative Steelers offense, and Wilson’s injury has made it unlikely for the team to bench Fields even if coach Mike Tomlin wished to. The Steelers are currently underperforming, showing a 10 percent drop in their expected drop-back rate. Fowler also mentioned that although Wilson had a better command of the offense than Fields during preseason, Fields has firmly established himself as the starter.
Wilson’s calf injury has resulted in Fields receiving first-team reps, impacting the regular season as well. Despite the Steelers’ 3-0 record, Fields’ performance has been lackluster. He has thrown just two touchdown passes, averaging 172.7 passing yards per game, while the team ranks 24th in points scored, averaging only 17 points per game. This raises questions about how long the coaching staff will tolerate Fields’ current level of production.
It’s likely that Russell Wilson will eventually recover, providing an opportunity for him to play for the Steelers. The Broncos cut ties with Wilson after just 30 starts, absorbing an NFL-record $85 million in dead cap space, which will carry into the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Critics initially condemned the Broncos for this decision, but with Wilson still recovering and unlikely to start for the Steelers this season, the move seems increasingly justified. The Broncos needed to embrace a youth movement to get their franchise back on track, and as Wilson’s contract will be off the books after the 2025 season, the decision to release him is looking better by the day.
