Phillip Lindsay’s days with the Denver Broncos could be numbered.
On Monday, the team decided to place a low-round restricted free agent tender on the running back, meaning that if he signs an offer sheet with another team and the Broncos refuse to match, the team would get no compensation in return since Lindsay was an undrafted free agent.
Some could see this as the team doing right by the player, allowing him to find a potentially better fit in the league with another team. But until the 2020 season, he was a great fit in Denver, gaining over 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first two seasons.
He was the first undrafted player in league history to accomplish that.
Last offseason, the Broncos decided to sign Melvin Gordon as a free agent despite the running back position not being one of need with Lindsay and Royce Freeman already on the roster. Gordon led the team in rushing, but he was far from great.
In Pat Shurmur’s offense, Lindsay just was not valued, something the player has expressed his frustration with.
Lindsay is still in the prime of his career and should garner interest from several teams around the league.
If Lindsay gets the right deal on the right team, he will almost certainly take it and leave Denver with a massive chip on his shoulder. Though the organization feels it needs to do what it needs to do, it’s tough to see Lindsay potentially leave.
Not long ago, I discussed the amount of disrespect that Lindsay has received in the last year and while some will disagree and say that it’s “just business”, this feels like another disrespectful move and a sign that the two sides are likely to part ways.