Colts and Jonathan Taylor reach a three-year, $42 million agreement after a standoff.
Running back Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts have patched things up.
According to a person with knowledge of the negotiations who spoke with USA TODAY Sports, Taylor and the Colts reached an agreement on a three-year, $42 million deal extension that includes a $26.5 million guarantee. The individual talked under the condition of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the subject.
Taylor is now among the highest-paid running backs in the NFL thanks to the agreement.
Taylor is expected to play in his first game of the season on Sunday in Indianapolis when the Colts play the Tennessee Titans. Due to an ankle injury, the running back was placed on the PUP list at the start of the season.
With this deal on Saturday, Taylor’s storied relationship with the Colts comes to an end. Owner Jim Irsay expressed his enthusiasm at the news on X, where he got into a verbal spat with Taylor’s agent Malki Kawa.
After the two parties were unable to come to an agreement on an extension during a challenging offseason for running backs looking to cash in, Taylor requested a trade this offseason. Taylor’s request for a trade is granted by the Colts, but they were unable to locate a team that would satisfy their trade requirements. Following that, Taylor was added to the PUP-list, which necessitates that players miss four games minimum.
Taylor was taken off the PUP-list by the Colts on Saturday, and at the same time, word leaked out about his lucrative agreement.
Even with Anthony Richardson, the Colts’ highly promising rookie quarterback, Taylor is by far the team’s finest offensive talent. In 2021, Taylor led the NFL in both running touchdowns (18) and total yards (1,811). Following the 2021 season, he was also selected a first-team All-Pro. In 43 career games, he has amassed 3,841 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns.
In addition to relieving Richardson of some of the load, Taylor’s return to the backfield will create a potent duo with the rookie quarterback who can play both ways.
Richardson told reporters this week, “I know he’s a great player and I know I can do some things pretty well.” “I can only imagine what it would be like to try to mix those two things, but we won’t know until it really happens. I’m excited and we’ll see.”
Taylor, a Wisconsin native, was selected by the Colts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
