The Indianapolis Colts have the most underrated running back in the game. Jonathan Taylor is in a class of his own, yet he rarely gets the credit and recognition he deserves. Perhaps consistency is boring.
Notably, the Colts are well aware of his impact and importance on the team. That's why they would gladly comply with his desire to be a Colt for life, and why they'll be wise to give him a contract extension sooner rather than later.
However, as much as giving him a new deal might be a no-brainer, it's not as simple as it seems. History isn't necessarily on Taylor's side, and he might be putting the Colts in a no-win situation with his new contract.
The Indianapolis Colts can't afford to lose Jonathan Taylor, but paying him comes with risks
Taylor is currently making $14 million a year, which is steep by running back standards, but not as lucrative as a player of his caliber would usually require. In fact, he's currently sixth in annual average value.
Miami Dolphins star De'Von Achane got a four-year, $64 million deal this offseason, and Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs will most likely shatter Saquon Barkley's $20.6 million AAV. Inevitably, that will drive Taylor's price up.
The simple solution would be to get a deal done before that happens, but, again, that's not that simple. Not many teams give their running backs second contracts, let alone third, and that's usually for an undeniable reason.
Running backs have to take a beating week in and week out. They have to endure wear and tear that's not typical of other positions, and as such, their primes tend to be shorter. Taylor will be 27 next season, so he should still have plenty of miles left on his legs, but running backs tend to age in dog years, and precedents are scary.
For context, Ezekiel Elliott didn't have another 1,000-yard season after he turned 26. Todd Gurley was out of the league at 27, Nick Chubb suffered a career-threatening injury at 28, and Le'Veon Bell was never the same after his fifth year. It happens.
However, that doesn't mean the Colts shouldn't want to do right by their best offensive player. Ultimately, they will have no choice but to either meet him in the middle or meet his demands, even if that means overpaying for a guy playing in the game's most ungrateful position.
There's no football reason not to pay Taylor. Just last season, he was third in the league with 1,585 rushing yards, adding 46 catches for 378 yards and totaling 20 touchdowns (18 rushing). Those are MVP-caliber numbers, and they need him to take pressure off Daniel Jones' shoulders, especially after a major injury.
He's also a fan favorite, and while he held out for two months -- including four games -- in 2023 when he didn't get the deal he was looking for, it looks like he's buried the hatchet with the front office. Still, the threat of another potential holdout also looms large, and it might force general manager Chris Ballard to cave in sooner than he'd want.
At the end of the day, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the Colts don't get a deal done with Taylor, as they should. But given the way other backs and their big contracts have aged, they can only hope he'll be the exception and beat the odds.
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