Phillip Lindsay is in line for a new contract, and these five teams should be ready to pay him what he’s worth.
An undrafted free agent out of the University of Colorado, Phillip Lindsay has been quite a find for the Denver Broncos. He has topped 1,000 yards on the ground in each of his first two seasons, despite playing 42 and 51 percent of the snaps in those respective seasons.
Talks about a contract extension seem to not bet getting much traction, but there’s no doubt Lindsay deserves a bigger role in the Broncos’ offense. But the team’s rumored interest in the free agent crop of running backs led to a two-year, $16 million deal with Melvin Gordon.
Gordon seems sure to take over as the lead back in Denver, as they’ve made him the sixth-highest paid running back in the NFL. Meanwhile, Lindsay will make $750,000 this year, before becoming a restricted free agent in 2021.
Any competition is surely going to favor Gordon, but Lindsay is not going to just concede.
“When camp comes around, it’s going to be a battle,” Lindsay told Mike Klis of 9News Denver in a phone interview. “I’m not just going to sit there and give somebody the job. They can. But I’m going to go out there and I’m going to battle.
“Melvin’s not my enemy,’’ Lindsay said. “He’s my teammate. He needs to do his job but best believe I’m going to do my job.’’
Lindsay also said he’s not looking to be traded, but it’s now worth wondering if the Broncos might entertain offers.
In any case, these five teams should be ready to pay Lindsay what he’s worth in his next contract.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers only have $7.178 million in cap space for this year right now, but that’s not an immediate issue with what Lindsay is set to make. They also seem ready to find a replacement for the oft-injured James Conner, who is heading into a contract year, at some point in April’s draft.
Lindsay looks like a viable target for Pittsburgh, via trade in the coming weeks or all the way to next March if they are willing to cede a draft pick at the level of RFA tender the Broncos may place on him. There are no guarantees at that point, but the Steelers could extend a market value offer and make it hard for the Broncos to match.