As the Indianapolis Colts wrap up mandatory minicamp, running back Jonathan Taylor discussed his contract situation with the media.
As Jonathan Taylor prepares for the final season of his rookie contract, he is making his desires known. On Wednesday, Taylor spoke with the media and was honest about the fact that he wants to retire with the Indianapolis Colts. After being drafted by the team in 2020, it’s now time for Indy to either extend Taylor or allow him to play out his contract and enter free agency in 2024.
Earlier in the offseason, Taylor had somewhat of a nonchalant approach to the contract situation, saying that it really wouldn’t be a distraction if he didn’t get an extension done before the season. However, Taylor has since hired new agents, and on Wednesday, he expressed that he’s hopeful to get an extension done before the season.
As hopeful as Taylor is, and as much as he wants to remain with Indianapolis for all of his career, he understands the business of the NFL, especially when it comes to running backs.
“Hopefully they can see the value,” Taylor said of the Colts.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) June 14, 2023
Jonathan Taylor hopes to sign an extension with Colts before season
Currently in the NFL, some of the league’s best running backs are going through contract sagas with their respective franchises. Both Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs were franchise tagged by their teams— Barkley by the New York Giants and Jacobs by the Las Vegas Raiders. However, neither back signed the tag yet, so they’ve been away from their teams hoping to secure a long-term deal before the July 17 deadline.
Since Taylor is a running back, there’s a chance that his negotiations with the Colts could get that messy, but historically, Chris Ballard has done a pretty good job of extending homegrown players to big contracts. In the last few years, Indy extended Braden Smith, Shaquille Leonard, and Quenton Nelson, making Leonard mad Nelson the highest-paid players at their respective positions at the time.
Taylor might not quite get that designation, but his new deal should certainly put him towards the top of running back salaries, because he’s one of the best backs in the league. In just three seasons, Taylor has played in 43 games and ran for 3,841 yards and 33 touchdowns. That, of course, includes his 2021 season where he lead the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and was also named First-Team All-Pro, and voted to the Pro Bowl.
Taylor has proven how elite of a running back he is, and his value to the Colts. Now, it’s only right that Indianapolis gives him a worthy contract extension.