Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After several productive talks with Phillip Lindsay's representation over the last several days, the Broncos and Phillip Lindsay have mutually agreed to part ways, allowing the former Pro Bowl running back to maximize his opportunities on the free-agent market.
After a memorable three-year career with the Broncos, Lindsay will move forward and continue his NFL career with another club.
The Broncos officially rescinded Lindsay's right-of-first-refusal tender on Wednesday, which made Lindsay an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any team.
Though he starred in Denver for just three seasons, Lindsay left an impact far bigger than his 5-foot-8 frame.
The hometown star captured the hearts of Broncos Country over the course of those three years with his relatable story. Lindsay grew up in the Denver metro area, attended high school at Denver South and played college football at the University of Colorado, where he was dominant in the Pac-12. Lindsay did not receive an invite to the Combine, though, and went undrafted before signing with the Broncos as a free agent.
In 2018, his first season with the Broncos, Lindsay proved he had NFL talent. He battled from the bottom of the depth chart to earn a spot on the team's 53-man roster. Before the regular season, he traded his No. 2 training camp jersey for No. 30, with the blessing of Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis. He did the number proud, as he scored a 29-yard receiving touchdown in front of his hometown fans in his very first game. He would only carve out more playing time from there, as he appeared in 15 of 16 games and started eight contests. He totaled 1,037 yards on 192 carries to go along with nine touchdowns that season, and he crossed the 100-yard mark on three occasions. Only two players in franchise history have posted a higher yards per carry average in a season than Lindsay did in 2018. In Week 13, he ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week honors. Later that season, he became the first undrafted offensive rookie in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl. He was also named to the NFL's All-Rookie team.
A year later, Lindsay followed up his Pro Bowl season by starting all 16 games and again crossing the 1,000-yard rushing barrier. He posted seven more rushing touchdowns and two more 100-yard performances. He continued to play bigger than his frame, as he fought into the end zone against Green Bay and shook off Pro Bowler Joey Bosa on a critical carry in a win over Chargers. With his impressive rushing total, he became the first undrafted running back to begin his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Lindsay's final season in Denver was somewhat hampered by injuries, but he managed to record 502 yards and a touchdown in 11 games. He recorded his final 100-yard game as a Broncos in Week 6, as he carried the ball 23 times for 101 yards in a road win over New England.
Lindsay finishes his career in Denver with 534 carries for 2,550 yards and 17 touchdowns — and also as an inspiration to a generation of Denver high school football players. When he was in middle school, Lindsay was a member of the Broncos' inaugural Futures Football program, which aims to prepare youth athletes for the academic and athletic rigors of high school. Years later, after he became the first player from the program to play in the NFL, Lindsay would return to inspire the current crop of students to follow their passions.
Certainly, anyone who watched Lindsay play the game could tell the Colorado native played with an unrivaled intensity of his own. In pregame introductions and after big scores, Lindsay would fire up both his teammates and the crowd at Empower Field at Mile High.
And though he'll no longer tote the ball for the Broncos, his three odds-defying years in Denver will not be forgotten.