Running back Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts is qualified to be activated off the physically unable to perform list following the team’s Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but he is said to be dissatisfied with his current circumstance.
Taylor “still doesn’t want to play for the Colts,” according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, and the Colts “still don’t want to give him a long-term contract.”
Taylor asked for a trade during the preseason and was given the go-ahead to look for a trading partner, but nothing materialized. He was later put on the PUP list by the Colts due to an ankle injury, which meant he would miss at least the first four games of the regular season.
Is time running out for both Taylor and the Colts?
Taylor and the Colts are still at odds, and Graziano made the assumption that the first-team All-Pro for 2021 will be traded and won’t appear in another game for Indianapolis. Taylor, 24, was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. In each of his first two seasons, he carried for more than 1,000 yards and scored double-digit touchdowns.
Taylor dominated the league in 2021 with 1,811 running yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 40 receptions for 360 yards, and two more scores. The Colts, like many NFL clubs, have been unwilling to make significant investments in the running back position even though Taylor is currently in the final year of his rookie deal and may become a free agency during the offseason.
One could argue that the Colts are even less inclined to pay Taylor a large sum of money now that they have seen Zack Moss perform admirably this season in Taylor’s place. Moss has 48 carries for 210 yards and one touchdown in two games. He has also caught six catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Taylor and the Colts must make a decision soon, but if they decide to move on, they may have to accept a deal that falls far short of what they are seeking for in terms of value.
