Jonathan Taylor is among the elite players who found themselves entangled in ugly contract disputes with their teams during the preseason. Despite demonstrating his caliber on the field, the Indianapolis Colts chose not to extend the running back’s contract before the start of the 2023 season.
As Jonathan entered the final year of his rookie contract, he couldn’t help but publicly express his frustration, almost severing communication with the team. However, it appears that the veteran now has a positive update regarding the situation as the regular season progresses.
Taylor gives Colts fans hope with optimistic message ahead of season debut
On Friday, Taylor took to social media to share a photo of himself training at the Colts’ facility. In the five-second video captioned by “loading”, he was seen running a pass route.
Taylor has not participated in practice with the Indianapolis Colts this season due to an ankle injury he sustained in 2022. Despite the injury limiting him to just 11 games last year, he managed to accumulate 861 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He also caught 28 passes for 143 yards.
The surgical procedure to recover from injury typically requires several weeks of recovery time, but the NFL’s leading rusher in 2021 has been absent from the franchise for months. In his absence, and with Zack Moss dealing with a forearm injury, Deon Jackson handled the majority of Indianapolis’ rushing duties during their regular season-opening defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Colts’ star Jonathan Taylor unavailable until week 5
The Colts placed Taylor on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list after the team failed to find a potential trade suitor for him before the team-imposed deadline. This move will keep him out of the squad for at least the first four games of the season, and he can only expect to play as early as Week 5.
Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay had previously stated that the franchise would not renegotiate the RB’s contract anytime soon, and since then, tensions between the RB and the franchise have been escalating day by day. The Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard also showcased his concern on this matter via CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones.
“I’m not going to sit here and give you a rosy picture. It sucks. It sucks for the Colts and it sucks for Jonathan Taylor and it sucks for our fans. It’s where we’re at and we’ve got to work through it.”
However, Adam Schefter of ESPN has recently said the vet is going to pass his physical test. The source also reported that the footballer was planning to play as early as Week 5. Meanwhile, Irsay has till the NFL’s October 31 deadline to trade their football prodigy if his team chooses to do so.
Do you think that the Colts should sign Jonathan to a contract extension? You can share your opinions in the comment section.
