Alex Singleton Leads NFL in Tackles After Dominant Week

Alex Singleton has recorded 87 tackles in Denver's first seven games of the 2026 season. The lead over the next closest player in the National Football League is substantial. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner sits in second place with 71 stops. Singleton also leads the league with 43 solo tackles. He has four tackles for loss and five hits on the quarterback this season.

The Broncos named Singleton the AFC defensive player of the week on Wednesday. The selection follows a performance against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Singleton finished that game with 19 tackles. His final stop was a key fourth-quarter sack at the goal line. That sack was his first of the season. It pushed Jacoby Brissett back from the one-yard line to the five-yard line. The move was part of a defensive stand that kept Arizona out of the end zone for seven consecutive plays.

Singleton is 32 years old. He previously won a defensive player of the week award in 2017 while playing for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. Head coach Sean Payton noted that Singleton had only two weeks in Calgary before leaving. Payton praised Singleton's instincts and his recent contributions in the run game. Payton stated that Singleton made big plays against the Cardinals.

Singleton acknowledged that high tackle totals do not always indicate good play. He referenced the team's first game against the Chiefs, where he had 15 tackles. Singleton said that game involved making up for bad plays by running to the ball. He argued that the current season's stats are more meaningful because the team scored 16 points while he posted high numbers. He called the combination of production and team success sweeter.

This is the second defensive award of the year for the Broncos. Cornerback Talanoa Hufanga won the honor earlier in the season. Hufanga earned it after recording two interceptions against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. Fellow inside linebacker Justin Strnad expressed happiness for Singleton. Strnad said Singleton has been playing great ball. Singleton said the award is a cool moment for his family. He wants to show his kids that their father achieved this milestone in the NFL.

The award recognizes Singleton's consistent output. He has recorded 13 or more tackles in four of the first seven games. His 19-tackle game ranks as the third-best total of his career. No Broncos defender has recorded more than 21 tackles in a single game since 2022. Singleton achieved totals of 20 and 21 tackles in two separate games during that 2022 season.