Vincent Frank
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List as he recovers from a lengthy ankle injury.
The 2021 NFL rushing champion requested a trade ahead of the start of the 2023 NFL season. And while the Colts granted him permission to seek out potential landing spots, nothing came to fruition before the aforementioned PUP designation.
Now that Taylor is eligible to come off that list after Week 4, time is becoming a priority. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the running back “still doesn’t want to play for the Colts” and Indianapolis “still doesn’t want to give him a long-term contract.”
This will seemingly create more drama if Taylor shows he’s 100% and ready to go after Week 4. At that point, the Colts won’t be able to put him on an injured list, potentially creating more drama behind the scenes.
This situation reached a boiling point during the summer when Colts owner Jim Irsay commented on NFL running back pay and why teams shouldn’t hand out lucrative long-term contracts to this position. It came amidst contract issues relating to fellow running backs Saquon Barkley (New York Giants) and Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders). While those have been settled — at least from a short-term perspective — the Taylor thing remains up in the air.
Jonathan Taylor trade market seems to be limited
It was reported earlier in the week that other teams believe the Colts don’t have any real intention of trading Taylor in-season. Said report from Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports indicated that the Colts set a first-round pick asking price for Taylor with the belief that no other team would meet it. Given the running back dynamics in today’s NFL, that seems to make sense.
Related: Jonathan Taylor and others on the NFL trade block
There are several complications when it comes to a potential trade.
- Taylor is set to become a free agent after the 2023 season.
- The star running back wants a lucrative long-term contract.
- Indianapolis asking price is still said to be high.
- The former second-round pick missed six games last season to an ankle injury.
- The devaluation of the running back position in today’s NFL.
Having just recently lost Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee injury, the Cleveland Browns have come up as a possibility. Prior to the start of the season, the Miami Dolphins were seen as a logical landing spot. But given what we saw from fellow running backs Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane in last week’s 70-point domination of the Broncos, that seems to be unlikely.
- Jonathan Taylor stats: 3,841 rushing yards, 5.1 average, 104 receptions, 802 yards, 4,643 total yards, 36 TD
A second-round pick of the Colts back in 2020, Taylor has proven to be among the most-dynamic backs in the NFL. Something could very well come together ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline. But for now, the status quo seems to be holding true outside of his status on the PUP List.
