The Broncos made a slew of moves Saturday — including the decision to place running back J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve — but one they didn’t make was among the most notable: They didn’t move inside linebacker Alex Singleton to injured reserve.
Denver’s stalwart defender and team captain underwent surgery for testicular cancer Nov. 7, one day after playing in the team’s 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He won’t play Sunday, but the fact that he will not go on injured reserve is the strongest indication yet that his absence from the lineup is expected to be brief, a remarkable circumstance given the gravity of his diagnosis and procedure.
Singleton was diagnosed after a league-mandated drug test revealed elevated hormone levels, which led to further examination and the revelation of cancer. He played three days after learning of his diagnosis, then had the procedure.
Justin Strnad is expected to start on Sunday in Singleton’s place. Dre Greenlaw will work alongside him.
Garret Wallow will return from injured reserve to provide depth; the Broncos recalled him Saturday. He practiced the last three days after missing the previous four games with a hamstring injury.
OTHER BRONCOS ROSTER MOVES
Denver waived wide receiver Trent Sherfield on Saturday, a move that comes in the wake of adding veteran Lil’Jordan Humphrey off the Giants’ practice squad.
Losing Sherfield from the game-day active roster could change the complexion of Denver’s special teams, as Humphrey is not known for his special-teams work; he did not play a single special-teams snap in two Broncos seasons and logged just seven snaps in that phase in three games for the Giants this season. However, he saw action on 45 special-teams snaps with the New Orleans Saints in 2021 under then-special-teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, now with the Broncos.
Cornerback Reese Taylor was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-player roster for Sunday’s game. The Broncos used a practice-squad elevation on Taylor last week.
Denver used its two practice-squad elevations for Sunday on tight end Marcedes Lewis and linebacker Jordan Turner. The 41-year-old Lewis is now out of elevations, having reached his regular-season limit of three; if the Broncos want to use him again, they must add him to the primary roster.
BRONCOS PRACTICE-SQUAD ELEVATIONS:
2025:
- Week 1: LB Levelle Bailey, FB Adam Prentice
- Week 2: FB Adam Prentice (2), LB Garret Wallow
- Week 3: FB Adam Prentice (3), LB Garret Wallow (2)
- Week 4: LB Garret Wallow (3)
- Week 5: None
- Week 6: OL Calvin Throckmorton
- Week 7: None
- Week 8: LB Jordan Turner
- Week 9: WR Michael Bandy, TE Marcedes Lewis
- Week 10: TE Marcedes Lewis (2), CB Reese Taylor
- Week 11: TE Marcedes Lewis (3), LB Jordan Turner (2)
2024:
- Week 1: FB Michael Burton, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- Week 2: RB Tyler Badie, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey (2)
- Week 3: RB Tyler Badie (2), DB Tanner McCalister
- Week 4: LB Levelle Bailey, DB Tanner McCalister (2)
- Week 5: LB Levelle Bailey (2)
- Week 6: OT Cam Fleming, IOL Calvin Throckmorton
- Week 7: ILB Kwon Alexander, IOL Calvin Throckmorton (2)
- Week 8: ILB Kwon Alexander (2), IOL Calvin Throckmorton (3)
- Week 9: ILB Kwon Alexander (3), FB Michael Burton (2)
- Week 10: FB Michael Burton (3), ILB Zach Cunningham (1)
- Week 11: ILB Zach Cunningham (2), S Keidron Smith (1)
- Week 12: ILB Zach Cunningham (3), OL Nick Gargiulo (1)
- Week 13: OL Nick Gargiulo (2)
- Week 15: OL Nick Gargiulo (3), CB Reese Taylor (1)
- Week 16: DL Matt Henningsen (1), RB Blake Watson (1)
- Week 17: DL Matt Henningsen (2), WR David Sills (1)
- Week 18: DL Matt Henningsen (3)
