How did this come about? The Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Taylor have put aside their differences and have signed a huge new extension with the Colts RB now one of the highest-paid players in his position.
Well, it’s a good thing even the most fractured of relationships can come together and mend their differences…even if that only came about due to a big bag of cash.
Despite demanding a trade out of Indianapolis and all but severing his relationship with the team, Jonathan Taylor has come to terms with the Colts and resolved his differences with the team through signing a massive, 3-year, $42M contract extension that makes him the 3rd highest-paid running back in the NFL. And, to be honest, this is great news for the Colts and Jonathan Taylor.
Okay, I’ve got to be honest, I have no idea how these two parties have come together and hashed out their differences, let alone agreed to one of the most lucrative running back contracts in the last couple of years, as it seemed all but certain Jonathan Taylor was getting shipped out of Indy.
It was only a few short months ago that Jonathan Taylor, who was the leading rusher of the NFL for the Colts just two years ago in 2021, first sat out of all the Colts offseason preparations, such as their OTAs, training camp, and preseason games, and then demanded a trade from the team altogether.
And, immediately after those demands were made public, the Colts headstrong (and I have to say iconic and hilarious) owner, Jim Irsay, came out and said about Taylor that “If I die tonight and Jonathan Taylor is out of the league, no one is going to miss us. The league goes on. We know that. The National Football [League] rolls on. It doesn’t matter who comes and who goes, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.”
It doesn’t get anymore blunt than that.
But, after four games, all the talks, trade demands, and whatnot over Taylor have been completely forgotten as the Colts have officially removed Taylor from the PUP list, and gave him a 3-year, $42M deal that pays him $14M/season. Not only is that the 3rd highest annual average contract for a running back in the NFL right now, but it also is the first $10M+/season contract dished out to a running back since the Browns gave Nick Chubb his 3-year, $36.6M deal ($12.2M/season) a few months ago.
And guys like Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, James Conner, Austin Ekler, etc. have gotten new deals this past offseason.
Nevertheless, as for the implications of this move on both sides, I really think this helps out both parties as the Colts have just gotten one of the Top-5 running backs back on their roster and help Anthony Richardson continue his development as the team’s franchise quarterback, while Jonathan Taylor can return to play and regain his 2021 form after a down 2022 season.
Now, I will say this deal is far more beneficial for the Colts than Taylor as they have him on a manageable contract (3 years isn’t too long), and Taylor is coming back to play behind a better, but still bad, Colts offensive line. Anyways, it’s good to see these two sides come together and work out a deal that actual values the running back market.
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