NFL, Fantasy Football Draftniks, Colts Fans Have Their Answer: Jonathan Taylor Stays In Indianapolis On PUP
Running back Jonathan Taylor put in a lot of mileage for the Indianapolis Colts the last three years but his run toward the 2023 season will begin with a short walk into the team's huddle because he is not going anywhere.
Taylor is not being traded.
At least not by 4 p.m. on Tuesday -- a deadline the team imposed on the player who had been trying to find other interested teams.
Taylor will remain on the physically unable to perform list for the regular season which means he will miss the first four games for the Colts.
This is not what Taylor wanted.
Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts walks off the field after losing a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 11, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
A Disappointment For Jonathan Taylor
He may ultimately try to put a spin on it all because he doesn't have many options. But the 24-year-old running back went to bed Monday evening fully hoping to be playing for a different team by the end of Tuesday.
But last-minute negotiations to pry Taylor from the Colts obviously failed. The Dolphins were involved, but will likely call it doing due diligence when general manager Chris Grier speaks to the media next.
The Colts had previously rejected at least two offers for Taylor. Even Monday evening they were whispering that Taylor was staying put.
Bottom line: The Colts wanted significant compensation for Taylor. They let it be known they might need a first-round pick. Then they let it be known they might settle for a package that included multiple other picks to make it worth their while.
And that never fully materialized.
Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball against Kevin Byard #31 of the Tennessee Titans in the third quarter of the game at Nissan Stadium on September 26, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
Colts Love-Like Relationship With Their Star
Indy's stance is intriguing because on the one hand, the Colts have been reticent about signing Taylor to an extension. They privately, and publicly through owner Jim Irsay, floated the idea that overpaying a running back is unwise.
That even applies a running back who gained 1,811 yards in 2021 amid an otherwise disappointing season in which Indy finished out of the playoffs. Multiple running backs -- Saquon Barkley with the Giants, Josh Jacobs with the Raiders, and J.K Dobbins in Baltimore -- failed to extract the kind of contract they felt they deserved.
Amid this running back contract malaise, on which they indulged, the Colts tried to extract the maximum for Taylor. They initially asked for a first-round pick for the same player they weren't eager to sign to a new contract.
Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts runs the ball during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Jonathan Taylor Has Decisions To Make
Taylor, according to a source, will now regroup to decide his next step.
Does he accept that he will play for the Colts or nobody?
Or does he sit out?
Perhaps he reports to the team and continues to rehabilitate an ankle injury that has been quite mysterious. Taylor, who had ankle surgery in January, was expected to be cleared within two months following a procedure.
But we're going on eight months and Taylor still has not passed his Colts physical. That has led to speculation around the league. Some league executives think he's been conducting a sort of "hold in" while his contract situation is sorted.
The next move seems to be up to Taylor and his representative Malki Kawa.