Using Chris Jones' new deal to get Jonathan Taylor back to the Colts
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts have had disgruntled stars on their hands to begin the season. The Chiefs though were able to find a solution to end All-Pro DT Chris Jones' holdout without handing him a long-term deal. Maybe the Colts need to use this blueprint to get their star RB back […]
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts have had disgruntled stars on their hands to begin the season.
The Chiefs though were able to find a solution to end All-Pro DT Chris Jones' holdout without handing him a long-term deal. Maybe the Colts need to use this blueprint to get their star RB back on the field wearing the horseshoe.
The most interesting part of Jones' new 1-year deal with the Chiefs is his base salary stayed completely the same, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
How the Colts could use this approach:
Jonathan Taylor and his team believe he is underpaid and deserves a contract extension. The first statement is probably accurate, as Taylor is entering the final year of his rookie contract, where he is set to make a base salary of $4.3 million. That base salary is the 8th most in the NFL for a RB. When healthy, Taylor has undoubtedly placed himself higher than the 8th-best RB in the NFL. The problem on the Colts side is they want to see him play and remain healthy after his season was derailed by injuries last year. And with the new offensive system in place, they have put a hold on offensive extensions to get a better idea of how players fit in head coach Shane Steichen's offense.
So, using the Chiefs and Chris Jones contract blueprint, the Colts could offer Taylor a deal for this year that still keeps his base salary at his agreed-upon amount of $4.3 million but add in multiple different incentive packages that would boost Taylor's pay for this year without compromising on their wish of waiting on a long term extension. One of the areas the Colts could tie incentives to Tayor's overall playing time, which still gives them a chance to see Taylor remain healthy this season. Another would be statistical feats for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. And finally, the team could offer extra incentives to Taylor if he can meet certain milestones when it comes to his end-of-season stats compared to others at his position.
The Colts would still hold the right to franchise tag Taylor after the season if a long-term deal can't be agreed upon and get to see Taylor in their new offense before having long-term extension talks. As well as giving Taylor the ability to earn more than his projected base salary for this year and prove to the Colts or other teams he deserves a top-of-the-market extension. I believe this is a compromise the Colts could be interested in exploring. The question is, would Taylor and his representation accept this type of deal? Or will they stand firm on their stance that Taylor will not play this season without a long-term contract extension from the Colts or elsewhere?
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