Will the Colts trade Jonathan Taylor?
Jim Irsay shares his thoughts on Taylor’s trade request.
Saturday evening brought shock to most Colts fans when star RB Jonathan Taylor's formal trade request was made public by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Just moments before the trade request was made public, Colts owner Jim Irsay took time to meet with the media to discuss the situation. While he did affirm that the team is not looking to extend the RB at the moment, he shared that the team hopes for Taylor to be a big part of the team's success this upcoming season. Which did not sound like an owner ready to accommodate Taylor's trade request. We wouldn't have to wait long for Jim Irsay's thoughts on the matter as Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared a personal text from Jim Irsay via X (Twitter).
Who has the leverage?
Jonathan Taylor has been one of the NFL's best RBs for most of his young career. And typically, players that fit that bill get paid with little to no hesitation. Unfortunately for Taylor, he plays at a position whose value is at an all-time low, and running backs across the league are struggling to get the level of contracts they are seeking.
Taylor is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so wanting a long-term deal isn't unreasonable. The state of the RB market makes it hard for any team in the NFL to pay top dollar for that position. Due to the NFL's current CBA the Colts control Taylor's rights for two additional seasons on top of this upcoming one if they elect to use the league's franchise tag.
The only recent RB to get paid top market price has been Christian McCaffrey, who signed a 4-year extension worth a little north of 64 million dollars with a 21.5 million dollar signing bonus with the Carolina Panthers in April of 2020. McCaffrey is known around the league as the NFL's best dual-threat RB. A RB who is seen equally as dangerous as a pass catcher as he is as a runner. McCaffrey would not finish that contract in Carolina, as he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers last season.
So during a time where it is already hard for a RB to get a long-term contract, for a back to come close to McCaffrey's 16mil a year salary, they need to be a difference maker in the passing game as well. While Taylor has shown an ability to make plays after the catch, he hasn't been consistent enough to stay on the field consistently on 3rd and long situations. This added with him coming off a season pledged by injuries, and it is hard to see the Colts or any team in the NFL giving a long-term contract when they simply do not have to because of the RB market and current CBA.
Will a trade happen?
As said above, Colts owner Jim Irsay has already shot down the notion that the team would trade their star RB. Which already will make it hard for a trade to happen. But, the other big hurdle is now that the trade request and desire for a long-term deal is public, another team must now be interested in extending Taylor themselves. It's hard to imagine a team agreeing to 1. Pay a price to change Irsay and the Colts' stance on keeping Taylor, and 2. Be willing to hand over a long-term contract to a RB in today's NFL to make Taylor happy enough for his issues not to follow him to a new team.
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Featured Image By: Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
