The complex NFL landscape for the running backs began to get a little bit simpler following the back-to-back contract of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, albeit veteran RBs like the Indianapolis Colts star Jonathan Taylor is still awaiting contract extension ahead of the regular season.
Jonathan earlier requested a trade, albeit the Colts owner Jim Irsay publicly denied the request and now, the footballer is going to miss his camp session once again, albeit it is not related to his contract issue. In his absence, they will have to bank on players like Deon Jackson, Jake Funk, and Evan Hull as the veteran’s backup Zack Moss also suffered a broken forearm and is set to be out of the squad till October.
Jonathan Taylor leaves Colts camp once again
Taylor alongside other Indianapolis veterans headed to training camp on July 25, albeit his practice session was cut short as the franchise immediately placed him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to his ongoing recovery. The 3-year-veteran returned to the team facility on Monday, albeit he again stepped away from the camp on Wednesday due to a personal matter and the Indy front office excused it.
“Jonathan Taylor returned to Indianapolis to continue his rehab, however, he had a personal matter arise. He is not currently with the team and his absence is excused.”
#Colts statement released a short while ago: “Jonathan Taylor returned to Indianapolis to continue his rehab, however he had a personal matter arise. He is not currently with the team and his absence is excused.”
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 16, 2023
Stephen Holder of ESPN said he heard via multiple sources that the personal matter the RB is attending to is totally legitimate. That is why his team marked the absence as “excused” in their statement, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Injury update on Jonathan Taylor
Taylor got plagued by ankle injuries last season, albeit he returned to the field later in the season. Unfortunately, he again fall prey to a high ankle sprain in week 15 before being placed on the PUP list. The Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard told SiriusXM NFL Radio, there is no active timeline for his comeback to the field, per Mike Chappell of CBS/FOX Indy.
“Last year he got hurt early in the season, was dinged up all year, fought through it until he finally got to the point where he had to have surgery.”
The All-Pro running back is not offered a contract extension by Indy yet and his dissatisfaction with the situation was quite visible, albeit Chris said he needs to be fully healthy before the franchise can think of further moves.
“He’s been a great Colt, a great player for the Colts.….. Now, he’s finishing his rehab process. Hopefully, as we move forward here, we’ll get him back. But we need to get him 100% healthy before we do anything.”
The Colts are set to play against the Chicago Bears in Week 2’s preseason game on Saturday night. Meanwhile, do you think that they should offer Jonathan a contract extension? You can share your thoughts with us in the comments.
