The Broncos shocked fans and media alike last week with the announcement from the team and Alex Singleton that the inside linebacker was recently diagnosed with cancer. He had the cancerous tumor removed and is in full recovery, and said that he hopes to return to the field soon. It is incredible news that Singleton was able to receive treatment before it was too late.
Although it feels secondary in a story like this, there are obvious on-field impacts for Vance Joseph's unit. Singleton typically plays every defensive snap for the team, leaving them without their most consistent player in their first two levels. With Dre Greenlaw still playing nowhere close to 100% of snaps, Joseph will need to look to his depth.
Luckily for Joseph, their inside backing depth has been strong all season. It helped them cover the first seven weeks until the debut of Greenlaw as a Bronco, and provided great value with pass rush up the middle. There is no true return date out there for Singleton yet, meaning that Joseph might need to trust his depth for a few weeks, making this a great opportunity to prove himself for one specific Bronco.
Justin Strnad has another great opportunity to impress right in front of him in Week 11
For Justin Strnad, Week 11 presents itself as yet another chance to claim legitimate snaps down the playoff stretch. He received a significant share of snaps to begin the year while Greenlaw rehabbed from his preseason injury, but saw his time decline significantly over the past few weeks. Strnad performed incredibly well at the beginning of Denver's seven-game winning streak.
Strnad has set a new career high in sacks, proof that he is one of the better sacking inside backers in the game. His interception of Jaxson Dart might be the biggest defensive play of the season for the Broncos, but it still was not enough to see Strnad keep a regular share of snaps up the middle. Depending on how long Singleton will be on the sidelines, this could be Strnad's last true chance as a Bronco.
His extension with the Broncos before this season was only for one season, and Strnad will almost assuredly hit the open market this spring. If he excels in this next opportunity, he could find himself as the beneficiary of a nice contract this spring, whether that be in Denver or elsewhere in the NFL. It might be his final opportunity this season, but Strnad has made the most of every chance the Broncos have given him this season.