Phillip Lindsay's career began on a historic high note. Tuesday might be a new low for the running back.
The Houston Texans are cutting Lindsay, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source. Lindsay will head to waivers following his release.
Lindsay's move to Houston followed an unceremonious departure from Denver, where he rose from undrafted free agent to Pro Bowler in 2018, the first UDFA to achieve such a feat in NFL history. His story was as much about production as it was heartwarming, with the Denver-area native and Colorado University graduate racking up 1,278 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns as a rookie. He followed that with another 1,100-plus scrimmage yards season in 2019.
The Broncos added former AFC West foe Melvin Gordon to the mix in 2020, taking away touches from Lindsay and eventually writing him right out of Denver's future scripts. Lindsay's carries fell from 224 in 2019 to 118 in 2020, and he appeared in 11 of Denver's 16 games.
Houston stood as an ideal place for Lindsay to try to reclaim what made him special in Denver, but with Mark Ingram, David Johnson and Rex Burkhead also trying to do the same with the Texans, Lindsay didn't see many opportunities. He carried the ball 50 times in 10 games, averaging 2.6 yards per carry, and saw just four targets in the passing game, catching three for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Houston also parted ways with Ingram – the team's leading rusher -- trading him to New Orleans in late October. If ever there were a backfield to define committee, it's Houston's.
A lack of touches and poor fit could explain why it didn't work out for Lindsay. We'll see if he's able to prove it was only that and not something greater, depending on where he lands.
