In a surprising turn of events, Jonathan Taylor is getting paid, and the Indianapolis Colts are the team that will be doing it.
Taylor and the Colts agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract extension on Saturday, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Taylor will receive $26.5 million in guaranteed money as part of the deal, which makes him one of the highest-paid running backs in the league.
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The #Colts and star RB Jonathan Taylor have agreed to terms on a massive 3-year, $42M extension, locking him in at the top of the RB market and mending fences after a tumultuous period. $26.5M guaranteed.
Deal done by agents @MalkiKawa and Ethan Lock of @firstroundmgmt. pic.twitter.com/K0bXcWHEqo
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2023
To say that this comes out of the blue would be an understatement. Taylor and the Colts had a major falling out before the season, in part over the team’s refusal to give Taylor a contract like this one, which prompted the running back to demand a trade. As recently as last week, reports suggested that Taylor still had no real desire to play for the team. That was either not true, or something changed very quickly, as other reports did suggest that Taylor and the Colts seemed to be improving their relationship.
Taylor led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards in 2021. He played just 11 games and ran for 861 yards due to his ankle injury last season. The 24-year-old was in the final year of his rookie contract, but is now in line to make his 2023 debut Sunday with a new deal in his pocket.
