Phillip Lindsay might be the most improbable rookie Pro Bowler of all-time.

The running back went undrafted out of the University of Colorado in 2018, but didn’t simply make the cut with the Broncos. He immediately ascended to a starring role, rushing for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns at 5.4 yards per carry in his debut campaign.

If he could do it under those circumstances, Lindsay says the expectation should be for Jeremiyah Love to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Cardinals this year.

“If you get drafted third overall, that man better go to the Pro Bowl. That should be the expectation. They’re drafting you that high because they believe you can come in and make some noise. They think you can be that dynamic running back that changes the whole offense. This isn’t, ‘Oh, he’s going to take his time.’ You can’t do that when you’re drafted No. 3 overall.” Phillip Lindsay

Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs is the most recent rookie running back to make the Pro Bowl, doing so in 2023. Alvin Kamara (2017), Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and Todd Gurley (2015) are among the other running backs who made a Pro Bowl right out of the gate.

Lindsay says Love is the right prospect in the right situation to deliver immediate success.

“I love his run-style. The man has a lot of wiggle. He’s very explosive. He’s very patient. He can catch out of the backfield. The man has it all, and he’s with a team that has drafted him so high. What does that mean? It’s telling you they have a vision for him. You need a team that is going to get you involved. “And not just running up the middle. We are going to be creative with you. We’re going to get pullers in front of you to give you an opportunity to be one-on-one with the safety. We’re going to be creative with the pass game out in space, so that you can bring your superpower to our team.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay forecasts a 1,000-yard season for Love as a rookie, but cautions that he must turn potential into production in the NFL.

“The man should go over 1,000 yards, with 17 games and the touches he’s going to get. High praise for Jeremiyah Love, but he has to go out there now and go do it. Nobody’s going to bend over and kiss your butt. You’ve got to go earn every yard you get, and earn respect in this league by going out there and making those plays.” Phillip Lindsay

Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins turned some heads with a confident screed last month: that he would stay healthy and lead the NFL in rushing in 2026.

Dobbins averaged 77.2 rushing yards per game on 5.0 yards per carry last season, so the production wasn’t the problem. But he only played in 10 games due to a Lisfranc injury, the continuation of an injury pattern that has plagued Dobbins his entire career.

Lindsay says the inner belief from Dobbins is admirable, but doesn’t think those boasts should have been spoken publicly.

“I do love the confidence. I don’t think he had to go out there and call his shot like that, but I also understand he’s been hearing this from everybody. From national radio to here in Colorado, that this man can’t stay healthy. The truth is, when he is healthy, he’s very productive and really, really good as a running back. There’s no doubt about that. “Last year, my man would have been a top running back in the league because he was in such a groove. But for J.K., talk is cheap at this point. He has to go out there and prove to the world that you truly can stay healthy.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay is currently a radio analyst for 104.3 The Fan in Denver, but his critique holds more weight because he played the same position as Dobbins and knows the challenge of keeping the body healthy in a violent game.

“Me, personally, how would I have addressed it? I wouldn’t say anything. I would have that in my head, that this is my goal. Because the fact of the matter is, it’s hard to stay healthy in this league, and a lot of it has to do with luck. “You can put in so much work on your knees and ankles, but everybody has the same joints, the same ligaments. If it’s hit the right way, it’s going to tear. So, yes, you’re putting in the work, putting the proper food in your body, getting the proper rest, and then you have to pray that this is your year.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay played alongside new Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with the Dolphins in 2021.

Waddle is expected to give the offense an extra dimension this season, and when asked for insight about the pass-catcher’s personality, Lindsay said his ex-teammate has established himself as an elite weapon because of his unwavering drive to succeed.

“He has a great personality and he’s always smiling, but he’s a competitor. Once he steps onto that football field, he wants to win every rep. Waddle is 5-9, 184 pounds, but he plays like he’s 6-4, 220 pounds. He’s never scared to catch a ball down the middle. He’s always looking to break that tackle. “He has the speed, agility and quickness to take a screen that may look like a 3-yard gain, and turn it into a 60-yard explosive touchdown. We’ve seen that multiple times throughout his career. His route-running ability is crazy. Adding Waddle to the mix, it’s going to be a breath of fresh air to this fanbase, and for Bo Nix it’s another weapon.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay is penciling Waddle in for another 1,000-yard season, and said he’s going to bring other benefits to the Broncos, particularly for one player who will face him in coverage throughout camp.

“Waddle is the type of guy you want in your building. Straight football. Great with the players, always laughing, always having fun. But he will also push you on that football field. Everybody around Waddle will get better because of him. Specifically somebody like Riley Moss, who struggled last year. “Riley has the best type of opportunity to get better, because now he gets to go against a big-bodied receiver like Courtland Sutton, and a shifty receiver like Waddle who you have to stay with and work on your technique. When you get into these games, it will be a lot easier for him.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay is one of the more decorated players in the history of the University of Colorado, setting a school record for career yards from scrimmage.

He was on the Buffaloes before Deion Sanders came to town, and like everyone else, enjoyed the buzz from the early days featuring Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

But Coach Prime went just 3-9 a season ago, as the results didn’t match the bravado.

“All that hype, it wears off. You’ve got to win games now. That’s how you keep butts in the seats and that’s how you make more money. So for Deion now, what do you do? Your back is against the wall and you’ve got to do something more than just talk.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay is happy with the direction of the program. He thought the hire of Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator was a smart one.

“Brennan Marion is going to be a great pickup when it comes to that go-go offense. He’s going to finally try to get a run-game going. When you see all these great colleges -- Texas, Ohio State -- they can run the ball. You need to have the offensive and defensive line, of course, because they’re the heart of the team, and you need the run game. I love that they brought in Brennan Marion because I think it’s going to be a change of pace. I think they’re going to start running the ball a lot more.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay also believes the recruiting philosophy of pinpointing smaller-school transfer prospects will turn out well.

“The biggest thing I love that the Buffs did this year was not go for those big-name players that couldn’t make it in Texas or Alabama. The four-stars that couldn’t cut it and are now trying to find different homes. There’s a reason why they didn’t make it on Alabama and Texas. You don’t want to just bring them in because they have a name or a star by them. “I love that they went to these so-called lower divisions schools like DI-AA and got the best players from those divisions, bringing up and rewarding them for what they’ve done. Those type of players know they’re not going to get $1 million, but maybe it’s $75,000 or $100,000, more than they’ve ever had, and now they’re coming up there to a bigger conference. They’re going to play harder. It’s not just about the money for them. It’s about the opportunity to play football.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay had a draft drop coming out of Colorado, as he wasn’t selected at all in 2018.

So he knows what fellow Buffaloes product Shedeur Sanders dealt with last year when he was a fifth-round pick after being a projected first-rounder.

Sanders will enter his second year in a battle with Deshaun Watson to be the Browns’ starting quarterback, and Lindsay expects recent adversity to help Sanders come out on top.

“Everybody at some point in their life, they get humbled. They get brought back down to reality. I think that it was a learning lesson for him. It’s not a good feeling. The worst feeling I ever felt was the three days during the draft when I did not get drafted. You’re sitting there questioning yourself like, ‘Why doesn’t anyone want me?’ “It puts you in a situation where you don’t want to feel that way, and you’re going to work as hard as possible to change people’s minds, and never put yourself in that situation again. So I think for Shedeur, you’re going to get the best version of him this year.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay says Sanders proved as a rookie that he shouldn’t have been drafted later than so many other quarterbacks, and that he is talented enough to be a long-term NFL starter.

“He will beat out Deshaun Watson. I truly think he can beat out Deshaun Watson. He’s young. He has very good talent. He’s smart. He just has to go out there and stay consistent.” Phillip Lindsay

The draft drop seemed to be in part because of character concerns, and Lindsay said it’s vital for Sanders’ leadership to shine through during the competition.

“You have people that want you to succeed, and you have a lot of people that want you to fail. It forces you to go to work every single day and be as good as possible. Everything might not go your way, but you’ve got to stay consistent. That’s life. That’s football. That’s how you become really good in the league. Consistency. “What can you do in Week 4 during camp? Not Week 1 when everybody is fresh. The dog days when nobody wants to be out there. Can you be the same version of yourself? If Shedeur can do that, be that leader and elevate people around him, he’ll be just fine.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay’s final NFL stop was with the Colts in 2022, where he served as a backup to Jonathan Taylor.

The All-Pro running back had already established himself as a star by then, so Lindsay was impressed by the way Taylor went about his business.

“One thing about Jonathan Taylor is, he listens to everybody. J.T. would listen to everything thrown his way, from what the coaches wanted from him, to players like myself. He would ask questions about how to take care of his body. You don’t have to do that when you’re Jonathan Taylor. “The year before I got there, the man almost went for 2,000 yards. The next year I get there, and he’s talking about, ‘Hey, Phil, how can I get better? Hey Phil, what can I do to make sure I stay healthy?’ Doing stuff like that means he cares, and that he’s not bigger than the game.” Phillip Lindsay

Taylor is fresh off his third Pro Bowl appearance after rushing 323 times for 1,585 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns in 2025.

Lindsay said Taylor is a special back in that he’s a mixture of both a speed guy and a bruiser.

“J.T. is 225 pounds but he can run like he’s 190 with the speed he has. Or run like he’s 250 (in short yardage). He’s very explosive, very twitchy, very patient. He’s a freak of nature. It pays off. It’s why you see so much success from Jonathan Taylor.” Phillip Lindsay

Countless NFL players have transitioned to podcasts after their playing days, but Lindsay took the more traditional media route by joining Denver’s top sports radio station, 104.3 The Fan, in 2023.

He co-hosts The Drive alongside Zach Bye from 2-6 p.m. every weekday, where he doesn’t just talk about the NFL, but every sport in action-packed Colorado.

“When I first got involved, I was like, ‘What did I get myself into?’ It was a lot of sitting down and a lot of researching. It was a lot of getting in tune with what was going on in hockey and basketball. Not just football. And with hockey and basketball, that’s 82 games. Every single night, something is going on, and you’ve got to be in tune to it so you can react the next day. When I first got going, it was a lot.” Phillip Lindsay

There was one other major obstacle for Lindsay: the FCC.

“I cussed a lot. That was a thing for me. On podcasts you can get away with it. It’s a little bit more laid-back. But on the radio, there are rules. You can say ass but you can’t say f---. If you do, there’s a dump button, and then it’s a 15-second delay if you dump the button. When I first started I had a couple slip-ups. So it’s more buttoned up. You want to still be yourself, but there are rules to this.” Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay said The Drive was No. 1 in the ratings for all stations in the Denver market last year, which included the FM music channels. He said the success of the Broncos has helped, but he’s also taken great pride in improving his craft to keep listeners coming back.

“It’s been a journey, man, a great journey. An eye-opening journey. It’s been very competitive, because you’re still going against different stations in Colorado. Everybody is battling with the ratings and everything. It brought an edge to me, like, ‘I need to get better.’ I want to continue to work on my craft like it’s football, because it’s still a performance-based business. If you don’t perform, you’re not going to be there.” Phillip Lindsay