COLTS AGREE THREE-YEAR, $42 MILLION EXTENSION WITH ALL-PRO RB JONATHAN TAYLOR
After an offseason full of drama and trade speculation, the Indianapolis Colts have finally agreed to terms on an extension with All-Pro running back, Jonathan Taylor, the team announced on Saturday.
As reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the deal is a three-year, $42 million pact that includes $26.5 million in total guarantees. The extension was done by Taylor’s agents, Malki Kawa and Ethan Lock of First Round Management and should keep Taylor in Indianapolis through the 2026 season. Taylor is set to earn $4.3 million in the final year of his rookie deal this season before the new contract sets in during the spring.
The Colts are now set to pay Taylor an average annual salary of $14 million, making him the third highest-paid running back in the league on an annual average salary basis. Taylor now sits only behind New Orleans Saints’ running back Alvin Kamara and San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey who are on $15 million and $16.015 million a year deals respectively.
The former Wisconsin Badger is now the first running back to land a long-term deal worth $10 million or more per year since the Cleveland Browns gave All-Pro running back Nick Chubb a three-year, $36.6 million deal in 2021, almost 800 days ago.
Taylor’s new extension brings an end to any contract disputes between the player and the organization. Over two months after Taylor submitted a trade request, the New Jersey native is now back within the fold in Indianapolis. Taylor spoke to the media for the first time on Thursday since the summer and since his mysterious hour-long meeting with Colts owner Jim Irsay in late July.
“Number one, just first off, [it] feels really good to finally be healthy,” said Taylor. “I mean, the whole time the main goal was to be healthy… [There’s] been a lot of things said and done but at the end of the day, the number one overall goal for everybody [involved] was for me to get healthy and I think everyone was on the same page with that one.”
The Colts granted Taylor several excused absences during training camp and finally permission to seek a possible trade on August 21st, a decision which – per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport – helped the Colts realize Taylor’s value in the current market. Colts owner Jim Irsay had previously told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that they had no plans to trade Taylor and quickly realized that multiple teams around the league, despite Taylor’s recurring ankle injury, were willing to give the 24-year-old a $14 million-a-year deal.
Irsay took to Twitter to speak about the extension and said that Taylor “deserves the deal.” “We have extended Jonathan [Taylor]!” said Irsay. “He’s a special player and this extension is important knowing the impact he’ll make as our team develops under [head coach] Shane [Steichen]. I have no doubt he’ll continue to create highlight plays and memories for our fans. He deserves this deal and I’m happy for him.”
Taylor led the league in almost every rushing category in 2021 after he amassed 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. The former second-round pick also added 360 receiving yards and 3 scores from 40 catches as he guided a poor Colts team to a 9-8 season. His stellar 2021 form would, however, be marred by a recurring ankle problem, which Taylor had taken care of via surgery in January.
Taylor said in a statement about his new contract on Saturday: “I want to thank [Owner] Jim Irsay and his family, [General Manager] Chris Ballard, and Coach Steichen for the opportunity to be part of this organization’s future. I greatly appreciate the support of my teammates and Colts fans. I can’t wait to get back on the field and do everything I can to help bring this city the championship it deserves. I’m proud to be an Indianapolis Colt.”
With Taylor’s deal now on the books, Titans’ running back Derrick Henry, Chargers’ Austin Ekeler, Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Cowboys’ Tony Pollard, Raiders’ Josh Jacobs, and Ravens’ JK Dobbins are some of the names that are expected to enter the free agent market in March 2024.
The Colts opted to play Taylor against the Titans but eased him back into action in his first game back by splitting the total carries between him and current starting running back Zack Moss. Taylor totalled 6 rushes for 18 yards and added another catch for 16 yards through the air on Sunday.
The 24 year old had been on the Colts’ Physically Uånable to Perform list since August 29th and sat out the team’s first four weeks of the season. The fourth-year running back was a full participant at practice all week and had no injury designation going into the game vs. the Titans.
The Colts officially activated Taylor off the PUP list on Friday and waived running back Jake Funk to make room for him on the 53-man roster.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Brady Klain. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.