Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Talyor is next in line to try and correct the market at the position. This offseason some excellent players had their contracts expire but none were able to really cash in.

David Montgomery, Miles Sanders and Jamaal Willams all signed multi-year deals but the annual average of those deals, should they reach their maximums, is only about $6 million. Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard all had the franchise tag placed on them by their respective franchises.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, this isn’t a landscape that Jonathan Taylor was hoping to head into. Dalvin Cook was released this offseason because the Minnesota Vikings didn’t want to pay him $10.4 million and Austin Ekeler hasn’t found much after being granted permission to seek a trade by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jonathan Taylor isn’t the only player that is taking notice and evaluating his future, as Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been doing the same. Harris, however, has at least two seasons remaining on his rookie deal, while Jonathan Taylor is already preparing for his second contract.

“Hopefully they can see the value,” Taylor said, via Stephen Holder of ESPN.com when referring to extension talks with the Colts have been going thus far. In a deflated market, it is going to be tough for Jonathan Taylor to receive the kind of contract that he believes he is worth.

Jonathan Taylor has already proven that when healthy, he can be one of the top running backs in the NFL. In 2021, he led the league in attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total yards from scrimmage and total touchdowns. 

An ankle injury, that he is still recovering from surgery on, derailed his 2022 campaign. But, he already has two 1,100+-yard and double-digit rushing touchdown seasons under his belt. That isn’t something many players can boast about from their resume as Jonathan Taylor is one of the best in the business.

He is hoping that the Colts can see that value, too. A young quarterback’s best friend is a productive running game. Indianapolis should do what it can to secure Jonathan Taylor into a long-term deal with Anthony Richardson joining the franchise after being selected No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.