Wide receiver scrolled through his phone on Christmas night to discover that running back suffered a right wrist injury in the Raiders loss the previous night that will require surgery.
“(Lindsay) doesn’t really talk about being hurt,” Sutton said. “If something is wrong with him, we usually don’t find out until the next day because of how much of a dog he is.”
But there’s no sugar coating the Mile-High sized disappointment for the Broncos.
Lindsay’s spectacular NFL rise was supposed to convene in celebration at the in February as the first undrafted offensive rookie in league history to earn such a selection. But an MRI revealed ligament damage and a possible bone fracture to his wrist, leaving Lindsay unable to play in the season finale Sunday, or the Pro Bowl. Broncos coach did not detail the severity of the injury with reporters Wednesday, but confirmed Lindsay will undergo surgery with a three-to-four month timetable for return.
“He’s had a great year, obviously, and to go out that way is not good for him,” Joseph said. “But it doesn’t take from the year he’s had. He’s a great find for this football team and moving forward he’s going to be a great player for this franchise.”
Lindsay suffered the injury on his 10th carry against Oakland. The Broncos trailed 17-0 and faced first down from the Raiders’ 14-yard line with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Lindsay lined up beside quarterback in the shotgun and took a handoff up the middle behind pulling tight end . Lindsay found daylight and gained 7 yards before a combination tackle by Raiders’ safeties Karl Joseph and Erik Harris put him on his back. Lindsay did not return.
“I hate it after the year he’s had and just the spark he gives us, not just on the field, but in the locker room,” Keenum said. “Itap not the ending you want for a guy like that. Itap tough but he’ll bounce back and I know he’ll come back stronger.”
Lindsay had 46 yards rushing against the Raiders to reach 1,037 on the season; second most in NFL history by an undrafted rookie (2001, Colts’ Dominic Rhodes: 1,104) and sixth best among all Broncos’ rookies. Lindsay required help from a communications staff member to button up and collar his dress shirt in the postgame locker room.
The Broncos will turn to fellow rookie running back to start against the Chargers on Sunday in Lindsay’s absence. Third-down back is also likely to get an increased role. Freeman, a third-round 2018 draft pick, averaged 4.4 yards per carry over his first seven games before being sidelined with an ankle injury against the Chiefs and Texans. Since limited by Lindsay’s star, Freeman has struggled, gaining just 152 yards rushing over the past six games.
“You know Phil. He always has a smile on his face and always positive energy and good vibes,” Freeman said. “I think he’s definitely the type of man to come and give great support for his team. He wants to be here with us and we owe it to him to go out there and give it our all.”
Lindsay first arrived at the Broncos’ rookie minicamp last May as the fifth running back on the depth chart. He is expected to make a healthy return in 2019 as arguably the team’s most dynamic offensive threat. And, with one NFL season to his name, Lindsay’s voice will carry increased weight in the locker room.
“The rookies need to step up and take leadership roles,” Lindsay said after Monday’s loss. “We’re not trying to challenge anybody, we’re all trying to be together to win games. We have great leaders and great vets. We need to continue that and build off of it.”
