The Indianapolis Colts don’t want to pay All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor. Or at least not right now, according to franchise owner Jim Irsay. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other teams keeping an eye on the fascinating situation developing with the Colts and their best player.
A season after leading the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards, Taylor is now entering the final year of his rookie contract. He’s set to make $4.3 million this season, far below the highest-paid running backs in the league. But that’s the norm for players still on their rookie contracts.
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Still, another common tactic for NFL teams is to pay a player before they reach free agency. We’ve seen that with the Las Angeles Chargers recently paying Justin Herbert, and we’re likely to see several more before Week 1 of the NFL season kicks off.
But recent indications suggest the Colts won’t meet Taylor’s asking price, whatever that may be. Yet, as mentioned, others around the league are monitoring how Indianapolis is handling this unique scenario.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, interest in Taylor is building league-wide. But would the Colts trade their best skill player? Here’s the latest from Rap.
“There is expected to be interest in Jonathan Taylor. I know a couple at least who are planning to call the Colts, just to gauge where they are, would they really not trade him? Then it comes down to the contract, and there are teams willing to do a ‘real’ contract for him. Would the Colts entertain that? All this remains to be seen.”
Ian Rapoport on Jonathan Taylor
Irsay has been insistent upon saying the Colts will not trade their best offensive player, but any time a talent like Taylor gets discussed as a possible trade target, it’s hard not to at least consider the options. Even though he has just one year left on his contract, the Colts know they also have the ability to franchise tag their young running back, not just once, but twice, if they want to.
Yet, as Rapoport indicates, if the Colts aren’t willing to offer Taylor a contract he feels he’s already earned, several others are apparently ready to pay the price.
Related: Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor demands trade, identifying 4 trade landing spots
