The situation between the Indianapolis Colts and their star running back Jonathan Taylor has taken plenty of twists and turns. The most recent development is that he will be sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the season.
The Colts opted to keep Taylor on the PUP List, meaning he will have to miss at least the first four weeks of the season. Indianapolis put a deadline of August 29th to complete a trade centered around him, but nothing came to fruition.
There were two teams involved in that race; the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers. Both teams were reportedly willing to make Taylor one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL should they have acquired him in a trade.
Both teams could still make a trade for Taylor now despite being on the PUP List. However, it doesn’t sound like the Dolphins are a possible landing spot any longer. They have opted to change their strategy and are now looking into free agent running backs to sign.
Despite the list of prospective landing spots potentially only being one, an NFL insider has made a bold prediction about how this situation unfolds. During an appearance on You Pod To Win The Game podcast, Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson predicted that Taylor will not play for the Colts again.
“Now there’s this lingering question about, is Taylor really hurt? Is he holding in? Is he saying he’s hurt, but he’s not. At what point does this come to a head and you know, you could see at some point the Colts essentially attempt to suspend him for what they would view as a hold-in. I personally don’t think he plays another snap for the Colts, I think they’re going to find a way to trade him at some stage before the trade deadline.” (H/T Sportsnaut)
Taylor’s market could enlarge depending on how the first four weeks of the season unfold. Should an injury occur or a team’s backfield be ineffective, a team could call the Colts to make a deal.
However, their trade demands are going to have to become more realistic. The Colts were reportedly seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Taylor, which is a lot. But, that’s a more realistic asking price than Jaylen Waddle and a pick, which Indianapolis reportedly asked Miami for during negotiations.
