Phillip Lindsay was not part of the Colts’ initial 53-man roster, but the team still has the former 1,000-yard rusher in its plans. The veteran back returned to the team on a practice squad deal.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the NFL to expand its taxi squads to 16 players (and up to six vested veterans), vets have increasingly been added as stashes. Lindsay is the latest accomplished performer to land on a practice squad. He gives the Colts an option behind Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines and Deon Jackson.
Indianapolis cutting Jackson would have exposed him to waivers. Lindsay has sufficient service time to pass to free agency. Signed midway through the offseason, Lindsay is on his fourth NFL team. The former Broncos UDFA addition spent the 2021 season with the Texans and Dolphins.
Going into his age-28 season, Lindsay has seen his value dip since his Denver days. The only UDFA in NFL history to begin his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Lindsay went from 2020 Broncos extension talks to being moved out of his starting role once the team gave Melvin Gordon an $8M-per-year deal in March of that year. The Broncos then rescinded a Lindsay low-end RFA tender in 2021, leading him to Houston.
Lindsay rushed for just 249 yards with the Texans and Dolphins last season (2.8 per carry), but neither team’s offensive line was particularly good in 2021. The Colts would seemingly offer a better setup, though the fifth-year veteran will not be in an immediate position to contribute.
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