The Week 12 bye could not have come at a more fortuitous time for the 9-2 Denver Broncos, who conquered the rival Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday without several starters, including cornerback Patrick Surtain II and linebacker Alex Singleton.
Both of whom stand a legitimate chance to return against the Washington Commanders in Week 13, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday.
“Broncos are optimistic that LB Alex Singleton and CB Patrick Surtain can make it back into the lineup Week 12 (post bye).
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The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Surtain has missed the last three games after sustaining a pectoral injury amid Denver’s Week 8 blowout of the Dallas Cowboys. The expectation had always been that he’d return right before — or after — the team’s bye.
Singleton recently underwent surgery for testicular cancer that was detected prior to the Broncos’ Week 10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Like Surtain, Denver anticipated that he would rejoin the team at some point this season.
“Multiple sources say he’s not a lock for Nov. 30 return vs Commanders but is trending that way as of now,” Fowler said of Singleton.
Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton (49) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Payton Pleased with Result
The Broncos weren’t just without Surtain and Singleton versus Kansas City. They also squared off sans starting running back J.K. Dobbins (who’s out for the year with a foot injury) and left guard Ben Powers (who’s on injured reserve), as well as key backups Nate Adkins, Lucas Krull, and Karene Reid.
Such is life in the NFL: adapt or die. And adapt the Broncos did, much to head coach Sean Payton’s delight.
“Look, it’s not me, it’s training your culture,” Payton explained after beating the Chiefs. “This [Hall of Fame College Coach] Nick Saban quote about toughness really not necessarily about physical, but the mental and how much you can take, and he likened it to hurricane windows. You can get the 139s, the 150s, or the 189s. Obviously if you go up, they cost more. So I went through that same thing with a beach house, and it’s fine in the 189s, and sometimes you’ve got to pass on something that might look attractive, but it’s finding those guys that can tune out the noise. There’s been a lot of noise, a lot of just… I won’t comment on it. But anyway—and I hear some of the narratives, and I just want to cry. But anyway, it is what it is. That’s your job. But our jobs are to focus on the wins and to focus on there’s a right way to win each game, and the players deserve a chance to have that. Sometimes that can vary, but in a game where a lot of guys were banged up and they were fully healthy. It’s a big win.”
