One Award Wasn’t Enough: Alex Singleton Earns AFC Defensive Player of the Month

Alex Singleton is having quite a season in Denver, and the recognition is starting to pile up.

The Broncos linebacker added another honor to his résumé Thursday, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Month after a particularly productive October. At 32, Singleton has been one of the most active defenders in football, consistently finding his way to the ball and making plays across the field.

Over four games in October, Singleton registered 65 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks. He now sits atop the NFL leaderboard with 101 tackles. His 59 solo tackles and 53 stops, which measure plays that negatively affect an offense’s expected points, are also the most in the league.

Singleton didn’t exactly slow down when the calendar flipped to November. Denver’s 28-24 win over Kansas City on November 1 added another impressive performance to his recent run. He became just the third player since 1987 to record at least 14 tackles and a sack in back-to-back games.

Thursday’s announcement also comes shortly after Singleton received AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 19-tackle outing against Arizona. Two individual awards in such a short span say plenty about the level of football he has been playing.

There is another side to his season, though. Singleton hasn’t been nearly as effective in coverage. Next Gen Stats credits the 32-year-old with allowing 352 passing yards, the most among linebackers this season. That is certainly an area opposing offenses could look to exploit. Still, his production against the run and his ability to consistently finish tackles have been significant positives, particularly after Denver’s defensive struggles in its Week 1 meeting with the Chiefs.

The Broncos will get another test Sunday when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. local time. Carolina may be sitting at 3-4, but that hasn’t stopped the Panthers from occupying first place in the NFC South. Denver will have to be mindful of a team that currently sits atop its division despite an uneven start to the season.

Singleton has already collected weekly and monthly recognition. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to keep that production going as the Broncos look to build on their recent success.