The Indianapolis Colts Jonathan Taylor is just another individual in a long list of running backs in the NFL who are now revolting against their team regarding their poor contract situation. Following a prolonged period of stalled walks, Taylor requested a trade Saturday and the Colts owner Jim Irsay vehemently refused to do so. Instead, they decided to list him on the non-football injury list.
Things deteriorated between the footballer and Irsay following the owner’s recent tweet regarding the change of the proposed pay structure brought up by the NFL’s RBs, though he later clarified that the comment was not applicable to their veteran. Taylor is entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract and is set to earn $4.304 million this season.
What is a non-football injury list in the NFL? Explained
Non-football injury and non-football illness (NFI) are directed at the players who are unable to practice due to conditions unrelated to football, or other kind of injuries that did not occur while they were playing and practicing with the teams. These are quite similar to the physically unable to perform (PUP) and injured reserve lists which are for players sustaining football-related injuries.
A player on the NFI list is not bound to receive his salary, and his respective contract will continue to run while in such status, albeit the particular athlete and his team can negotiate a rate of payment for him while sitting on this list. A player on the Active/NFI list can still count towards the 90-man roster. If he is moved to the Reserve/NFI list, he will not be on the 53-man roster and must miss the first four games of the season at minimum.
Colts “highly consider” placing RB Jonathan Taylor on the NFI list despite his trade request
According to Mike Chappell of FOX59 and CBS4 Sports, the Colts team is eyeing to place Taylor on the NFI list following the back injury he suffered while working out on his own in Arizona.
“Breaking: Colts considering placing Jonathan Taylor on non-football injury list (NFI), per source. He suffered some type of back injury while working out on own in Arizona. Also still rehabbing from January ankle surgery. Currently on PUP.”
Breaking: Colts considering placing Jonathan Taylor on non-football injury list (NFI), per source. He suffered some type of back injury while working out on own in Arizona. Also still rehabbing from January ankle surgery. Currently on PUP.
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) July 31, 2023
The 24-year-old was a surprise addition to the physically unable to perform list, albeit he was enlisted in the list due to an offseason ankle surgery and a league insider confirmed the PUP decision is not connected to his contractual situation.
Amid Jonathan’s stalked trade talk, Irsay firmly confirmed their decision to not trade him when asked Saturday about the trade request saying, “We’re not trading Jonathan… end of discussion. Not now and not in October!” The fourth-year pro has been the franchise’s most explosive playmaker over the years and led the NFL with incredible 1,811 yards as well as 18 touchdowns in 2021.
If Taylor finds himself on the NFI list and misses the season, the Colts team might exercise the option of not paying him in 2023 and his current deal would pay off next offseason, worsening the already complex RB landscape in the league.
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