Mile High Huddle

Garett Bolles on Phillip Lindsay, Broncos Split: 'This One Hurts'

Not a popular move.

Zack Kelberman

The impending divorce between Phillip Lindsay and the Denver Broncos is sending shockwaves through Dove Valley.

Reacting to Lindsay's restricted free-agent tag being rescinded — publicly characterized as a mutual split — Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles wrote on Instagram that he's "hurt" by the decision.

"This one hurts, man. Not only is Phil a great teammate, he is one hell of a man," Bolles said. "I’m excited to see what you do bro! Go be great little brother!!"

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Bolles' linemate, Broncos left guard Dalton Risner, shared similar sentiments regarding the former Pro Bowl back.

"One of my favorite guys on the team, man," Risner told Denver7's Troy Renck on Thursday. "Truly worked his tail off to get where he's at today, and he deserves to be paid by somebody. I admire his story and his willingness to always weather the storm. God bless that guy."

One of the biggest success stories in team history, a homegrown Colorado kid rising up to become a face of the franchise, Lindsay's three-season tenure ends with two 1,000-yard rushing campaigns and the aforementioned all-star appearance. He scored 17 ground touchdowns on 534 carries, averaging 4.8 yards per tote.

The writing was on Lindsay's wall following an injury-marred 2020 season in which he totaled just 502 rushing yards and one TD, replaced as the RB1 by $8 million-a-year veteran Melvin Gordon. The 26-year-old accelerated his departure earlier this offseason by critiquing his usage in offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur's system.

Denver signaled the end for Lindsay on Wednesday night, signing former Minnesota Vikings RB Mike Boone — an eerily comparable player — to a two-year deal worth up to $4.5 million, with $2.6 million in guarantees.

The Broncos initially placed a $2.133 million original-round tender on Lindsay, who earned $2.009 million combined over his first three seasons.

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Zack Kelberman
ZACK KELBERMAN

Zack Kelberman is the Senior Editor for Mile High Huddle. He has covered the NFL for more than a decade and the Denver Broncos since 2016. He's also the co-host of the wildly popular Broncos show the Mile High Huddle Podcast.

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