Indianapolis Colts’ star running back Jonathan Taylor is unhappy with his situation and recently requested a trade from the team. This seems to be a more active offseason at the RB position than in recent years. Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts is yet another running back making headlines. He recently had a private meeting with Jim Irsay, and followed that meeting up with making a formal trade request.
Sources: #Colts star RB Jonathan Taylor has formally requested a trade after meeting with owner Jim Irsay. pic.twitter.com/BH7dhZAzUD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 30, 2023
Taylor, 24, was a second-round pick back in the 2020 NFL Draft and has nearly 4,000 rushing yards through his first three seasons in the NFL. He only played in 11 games in 2022 due to injury, but he has been scary reliable throughout his football career. Taylor is one of the best pure runners in the NFL and is a running back that actually may have a very strong argument to being paid since he’s still young and very talented.
Both Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs tried and failed to get long-term contract extensions this offseason, and that prompted the NFL RB collective to sort of make their voices heard. Well, so far, they haven’t been successful at all. Barkley settled for a one-year deal that is barely worth more than the franchise tag that the New York Giants placed on him.
The deal also allows the Giants to tag Barkley again next year, so the former Penn State RB kind of played himself. Josh Jacobs still hasn’t signed his franchise tender and has not reported to the Las Vegas Raiders. Between him and Taylor, it’ll be interesting to see how this all ends. For the Colts, at least, it might make sense to trade Taylor since they are in a rebuilding process.
Getting a draft pick or two to help finish up a rebuild makes a lot of sense for them. However, rookie QB Anthony Richardson could be assisted in his development with an elite RB in the backfield. Being that the running back position is not as valuable as it once was, even the best backs in the NFL are struggling to get paid.
And, as hyperbolic as it might sound, I bet a lot of young football players who play running back are actively considering switching positions, because if they do make it to the NFL, they may not last nearly as long as other positions and might miss out on the generational money that other positions get with ease.
Jim Irsay also seems to be very adamant that the Colts will not trade Taylor:
Text from @Colts owner @JimIrsay on Jonathan Taylor’s trade request (as reported by @RapSheet): “We’re not trading Jonathan… end of discussion. Not now and not in October!”
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) July 30, 2023
It’ll be very interesting to see how this situation plays out between the Colts and their star running back.