Lindsay out for Sunday.
Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay will miss the second game of his career with a toe injury suffered in the season opener.
Phillip Lindsay will miss the second game of his career Sunday, as the Broncos running back continues to heal from a toe injury suffered in the season opener against Tennessee.
Lindsay had seven rushes for 24 yards in that game, as well as one reception for 11 yards, but did not play the second half due to a turf toe ailment. Coach Vic Fangio said Friday that Lindsay won’t be available for Denver’s road showdown in Pittsburgh. Lindsay did not practice this week.
The 26- year- old is coming off consecutive 1,000- yard rushing seasons, the first undrafted player in NFL history to accomplish that feat in the first two years of a career. Still, the Broncos signed Melvin Gordon to a two- year, $ 16 million deal in the offseason, and now No. 3 running back Royce Freeman will see more carries with Lindsay’s absence.
The only other game Lindsay’s missed in his three- year career was the season finale in 2018, after the Denver South and CU product fractured his right wrist against the Raiders the previous week. That fracture was followed by offseason surgery, and Lindsay said the wrist continued to bother him throughout last year but felt completely healthy entering 2020.
More injuries. After suffering a sprained ankle in the Broncos’ stadium practice Aug. 27, right guard Graham Glasgow was limited leading into Week 1.
But Glasgow — whom the
Broncos signed to a four year, $ 44 million deal in the offseason to help shore up the consistency of the offensive line — said his ankle held up “pretty good” in the loss to the Titans, and that he expects to continue to play even if it isn’t fully healed yet.
“There’s always room for improvement ( with the ankle), and I’m working towards making sure that’s it back to 100%,” Glasgow said. “I’m going to make sure I’m out there on Sundays and playing with my team.”
Glasgow isn’t the only Denver offensive lineman banged up right now as left tackle Garett Bolles has been limited in practice this week after spraining his elbow against Tennessee. Coach Vic Fangio said Bolles, who has not missed a start since debuting in 2017, will “be all right” to play Sunday and that wideout Courtland Sutton ( shoulder) will be a “game- time decision”.
“We’re listing ( Bolles) as questionable, but I think he’s a better questionable than Courtland right now,” Fangio said.
Additionally, inside linebacker Mark Barron ( hamstring) was also ruled out for Sunday.
Steelers talk Broncos. In Zoom calls with media on Friday, Steelers linebacker T. J. Watt and running back James Conner both addressed the matchup against Denver.
Conner, who injured his ankle in the season opener against the Giants, resumed practicing Thursday this week and noted it will take a focused effort to get the Pittsburgh run game going after the Broncos kept the Titans’ Derrick Henry from taking over in Week 1.
“They have a physical defense with some veterans up front along with good safeties, good linebackers,” Conner said. “It’s a solid defense all around.”
Meanwhile, Watt made note of quarterback Drew Lock’s ability to make plays outside of the pocket.
“He definitely looks to pass as he’s rolling out, and he’s very effective with his legs and his arm,” Watt said. “We have to be very disciplined, but that’s the great thing about being in our ( division) — we have quarterbacks that can get out of the pocket and run. We have a decent amount of exposure to that within the last few years with Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, and now Joe Burrow… So we have to be really disciplined in our rush lanes to contain the quarterback and make life easy for us.”
Anderson’s retirement. Former Broncos running back C. J. Anderson, who played five seasons in Denver and was a member of the Super Bowl 50 team, announced his retirement on Friday. Anderson, 29, played eight total seasons in the NFL and was a Pro Bowler for Denver in 2017. He tallied 3,051 yards and 20 touchdowns by ground with the Broncos, and finished his career with 3,497 career rushing yards while also playing for the Rams, Panthers and Lions.