Things have not gotten off to a great start for the Indianapolis Colts at training camp. The relationship between the team and star running back Jonathan Taylor has begun eroding with him heading into the final deal of his rookie contract.
General manager Chris Ballard was not shy when saying that a long-term deal for Taylor was not coming any time soon. Taylor ended up on the physically unable to perform list but more issues have arisen as he is calling the back injury the team is listing him with isn’t true.
Without Taylor participating in training camp, the Colts were turning to Zack Moss as the team’s starter. That is no longer possible as Moss suffered an injury of his own during practice, breaking his arm.
With the top two players on their depth chart now sidelined, the Colts will be turning to Deon Jackson and Evan Hull. Running back has all of a sudden turned into a major need for Indianapolis.
A former NFL executive that spoke to NFL Analysis Network could see the Colts now dipping into free agency to fill the need in their backfield. Dalvin Cook and Kareem Hunt are two names to keep an eye on in the opinion of the former league exec.
“The (Jonathan) Taylor situation is the hottest story in football right now, but Zack Moss also broke his arm today. I think you could see Jim Irsay and the Colts try to sign either Dalvin Cook or Kareem Hunt soon.”
Reports have linked Dalvin Cook to the New York Jets recently as he spent time at their training camp last week. With Aaron Rodgers taking a massive pay cut on his new contract, the Jets are now flush with money to spend on a free agent such as Cook.
While the Colts can’t sell Cook on being a contender like the Jets can, a bigger role could exist with them. With Moss sidelined and Taylor’s situation up in the air, he could be the featured back in Indianapolis.
Kareem Hunt’s market this offseason has been ice-cold. He struggled in 2022 with the Cleveland Browns but has experience as a lead back. He excels in the passing game, which is the role he had in the Cleveland backfield the last few seasons in relief of Nick Chubb.
Both veterans would be excellent additions for the Colts given their current backfield situation. Of the two, Hunt seems like the more likely option given the long-term role that could be available and the cost; Hunt would require a fraction of the salary that Cook will demand.
