According to ESPN, the Indianapolis Colts did not trade Jonathan Taylor on Tuesday because they did not get a fair-value offer for their All-Pro running back.
Taylor remained on the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday, leaving him unable to participate in at least the first four games of the season.
Taylor will at the very least miss games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, and Los Angeles Rams.
The Colts’ next best chance to move Taylor might be before the NFL’s trade deadline on Oct. 31.
If no deal is reached by then, the Colts may place Taylor on the franchise tag and attempt to move him again the following summer.
The Colts this week authorised Taylor and his agents to contact other teams in search of a trade partner, an unusual method to market a player. The organisation set a deadline of 4 p.m. Tuesday for a deal to be completed, which coincided with the NFL’s deadline for teams to reduce their rosters from 90 to 53 players.
It was also a deadline for the Colts to decide on Taylor’s roster status, since he had already been demoted to the active/physically unable to perform list. Taylor has not practised or participated in the preseason after being sidelined by ankle surgery.
Taylor’s dispute with the Colts stems from the team’s decision in May not to grant him a contract extension as he approaches the last year of his rookie contract. Taylor led the NFL in running in 2021 with over 1,800 yards before suffering repeated ankle injuries last season. Taylor anticipated the same treatment after watching teammates like Shaquille Leonard and Quenton Nelson earn extensions with a full season left on their rookie contracts.
When it became clear that the organisation was unwilling to change its position – and as Taylor studied the financial situation for great running backs such as Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley – Taylor started to dig in.
As training camp began, general manager Chris Ballard was questioned about Taylor’s contract. “We’ll make those decisions when we need to make those decisions,” he added.
Taylor discreetly sought a trade later that day. The Miami Dolphins were among the clubs interested in Taylor, but the Colts’ compensation demands – originally a first-round selection in return – proved too pricey for the rest of the league.
In Taylor’s absence, the Colts’ running backs include veterans Zack Moss and Deon Jackson, as well as youngster Evan Hull. Moss, who is currently rehabbing from a broken arm suffered during training camp, has never had a season in which he carried for more than 481 yards. Last season, Jackson established a career best with 236 running yards. On Sunday, the Colts dismissed veteran Kenyan Drake, as well as numerous other players at the positions.
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