A lot of the attention involving the Indianapolis Colts this offseason has centered around their quarterback position. They are one of the teams heavily rumored to be interested in a prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft and are the only team to make mention of possibly showing interest in Lamar Jackson.
No matter who is under center for the Colts in 2023, one of the things that will help them succeed in the early going is the presence of running back Jonathan Taylor. 2022 was a tough year for the Wisconsin product as he played in only 11 games after dealing with injuries, leading to his least productive pro career.
However, Taylor is only a year removed from looking like the best running back in the NFL. In 2021, he led the league with 332 carries, 1,811 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. His scrimmage yardage of 2,171 and 20 total touchdowns led the league as well.
Heading into Year 4 with the Colts, Taylor is in the last season of his rookie contract. The running back market has been underwhelming, to say the least, so it is hard to estimate what kind of second contract Taylor will land.
Alas, that isn’t something that he is worrying himself with. He told reporters he’d “keep them posted” on any extension talks that occur. Taylor continued, saying he doesn’t believe that his contract situation is a distraction.
“It wouldn’t be a distraction to me,” Taylor said. “I’m under contract here for four years. I put the pen to the paper … I made an obligation to them. They made an obligation to me. But things will happen naturally.”
This offseason Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard and Josh Jacobs all had the franchise tag placed on them by the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. All three had excellent seasons and if Taylor puts together another strong one, he could meet the same fate.
Miles Sanders signed the biggest contract for a running back this offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Carolina Panthers, leaving the Philadelphia Eagles. That shows just how devalued the running back position has become as Sanders is coming off of a Pro Bowl season and has an AAV of under $6 million.
