Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton played in their recent victory over Las Vegas Raiders despite being diagnosed with testicular cancer a few days earlier.

The 31-year-old had surgery last Friday to remove a cancerous tumor that was in its early stages – a day after he made nine tackles in the Broncos’ 10-7 win over the Raiders at Mile High Stadium.

In a post on his Instagram account,, external Singleton said his health concerns started over two weeks ago following a drug test that showed elevated levels of the hormone hcG in his system.

A visit to a urologist, who performed an ultrasound last week, revealed the presence of testicular cancer.

Singleton said he is on the road to recovery after an operation and predicted he will return to the field in “the coming weeks” as he awaits additional test results but has “a great prognosis”.

“I wrestled with sharing such personal information publicly,” Singleton said.

“But the fact is, if it helps one person decide to pay closer attention to their body, then it is well worth it.

“Early detection and regular screenings save lives and can save loved ones from a lot of grief.”