Back in 2023, as Indianapolis Colts fans no doubt remember, the stand-off between Colts management and star running back Jonathan Taylor got about as tense as a situation can get while still being resolved.
Well, at the time, the three-year extension that Taylor signed might have seemed like it would make those issues stay away forever, but here the team is standing at the cusp of 2026 with arguably their best player only having one year remaining on his deal. It definitely doesn't help matters that the front office just shelled out over $100 million dollars to keep QB Daniel Jones and WR Alec Pierce in town.
Despite public perception being that the running back position is replaceable, the cream of the crop is very much still being paid handsomely. One need look no further than the Arizona Cardinals taking Jeremiyah Love at number three overall to see how highly teams still value top end talent.
The Indianapolis Colts should follow the De'Von Achane blueprint and pay Jonathan Taylor before it's too late
And, with the most recent star RB just having cashed in his payday in Miami, it's time for the Colts to take a page out of their book and get ahead of the Jonathan Taylor contract before it becomes a problem.
Teams like the Cardinals and Dolphins rank among the worst rosters in terms of talent, but it's clear that despite this high end talent at the RB position is very important to them. On the other end of the spectrum, you can be sure that the Philadelphia Eagles, perenially among the best teams in the league, don't regret shelling out top dollar to secure the talents of one Saquon Barkley.
That was the move that took their offense over the top to win a Super Bowl. The Colts looked dominant in the early half of last season, and the biggest reason for that was their dominant run game, captained by former MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor. In the simplest terms possible, Jonathan Taylor is both very good and very important for this Colts team.
This article could dive more into the nuances of the running back position, or into how it's always a risk to pay an aging running back, but that's the bottom line. You don't trade two first round picks for a cornerback and pay top dollar to keep your wide receiver and quarterback just to cheap out on arguably your offense's best player.
And, as we saw back then in those mind-numbingly frustrating 2023 days, contract talks with Jonathan Taylor can get tense. It's important to keep relationships between the star player and the Colts front office healthy, and it would be a win-win move to extend the man before his contract is up.
De'Von Achane was drafted in 2023, and has been in the league for three years. Before that contract was up, Miami saw fit to reward their best player with a contract he'd earned, and in the process got a discount. Achane could've pressed Miami for more money, but because they operated in good faith he secured a deal that averages $17 million a year, good for third highest in the league.
That's a number most definitely in the top echelon of the league, but for a player of Jonathan Taylor's talents (who could very easily lay claim to the number one spot) would be more than reasonable. In recent years, Miami isn't an organization that anyone would want to emulate, but in this case Indy should look to how they handled negotiations with their main offensive engine and follow suit.
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