Terrell Davis' Message to Broncos GM George Paton: Phillip Lindsay Deserves a New Contract
Denver Broncos GM George Paton revealed last Thursday the team's intent to tender restricted free-agent running back Phillip Lindsay. Paton was unsure at which level Lindsay would be tendered but it'll likely be at the second-round level.
Such a tender would provide Lindsay with a nice windfall in 2021. Although it'd be just a one-year contract, he'd earn a projected $3,384,000 on the second-round RFA tender, which would represent more than 4x raise over last year's $750,000 salary.
To Hall-of-Fame running back Terrell Davis, whom Lindsay once importuned for his approval to wear the legendary jersey No. 30, that $3.384M single-year raise isn't enough. In Davis' estimation, Paton needs to show Lindsay the money on a multi-year deal, even if it isn't top-of-the-market level.
“The Broncos gotta do right by Phillip Lindsay, man,” Davis said on NFL Network. “Listen, the dude came in as an undrafted free agent, came in the first two seasons [with] back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. And listen, he’s been putting in work, he’s been showing up, doing everything he’s supposed to do.
“I love Phillip Lindsay, I think he adds a different element to the offense with Melvin Gordon. Listen, sign the man, bring him back, pay him some money — it ain’t got to be over-the-top money — but he deserves a new contract and he deserves a contract from the Denver Broncos.”
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Boom.
Ex-GM John Elway mulled over a Lindsay extension this time last year but it never materialized and instead, the Broncos went out and paid the ex-Charger Gordon a two-year, $16M contract. That stung Lindsay and he's since revealed through multiple interviews how much it hurt him.
Elway's out, Paton's in. And Paton likes Lindsday. The question is, how much does he like Lindsay?
“We’re still working through Phillip," Paton said last Thursday. "Phillip is a good player and very passionate. He had some injuries last year and he brings energy and juice. He’s a restricted free agent and we do plan on tendering him. I’m not sure at what level but we want Phillip here.”
Lindsay opened his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, earning an unprecedented Pro Bowl nod as a rookie. That alone should have been enough to warrant a raise from the previous Broncos regime.
Last year, with how Lindsay was used in new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur's offense, he got banged up early and often and struggled to stay healthy with three different injuries. Clearly, Lindsay attributes, at least in part, his bad injury luck in 2020 to his usage in Shurmur's scheme.
“Everybody knows that I can run inside well,” Lindsay said during a radio interview back in January. “But come on now, I’m 190 pounds. I can’t sit there and run up the middle 24/7, that’s just not my style. I have all this speed, I have great vision, I’m a person that can accelerate at any time. I just need to be put in position at times where you can get the pulling guards and you can get the screens, the draws. That stuff right there accelerates a running back especially my type."
Maybe Paton will take heed and work out a deal that would keep Lindsay in Denver beyond 2021. Don't count on it.
The action of NFL teams almost always is governed by deadlines. Teams don't pay players until they absolutely have to and it's without fail going to be at the 11th hour with said player about to hit unrestricted free agency.
The rub is, Denver has control over Lindsay through 2021 on the RFA tender. Once that expires, we'll know how Paton really feels about the dynamic homegrown running back.
The language of the NFL is money. Fans will know if Paton loves Lindsay by whether he gets paid. But it's not going to come this year.
The good news for Lindsay is that he gets that 4x raise for 2021 as an RFA. If Lindsay stays healthy this coming season, the production will undoubtedly come.
With Gordon's deal expiring after 2021 as well, Paton will have some big decisions to make.
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