After months of negotiations and trade rumors, the Indianapolis Colts and running back Jonathan Taylor agreed to a new contract on Saturday afternoon.
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According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the deal is worth $42 million over three years with $26.5 million guaranteed.
Sources to ESPN: Jonathan Taylor and the Colts reached agreement on a three-year, $42 million contract extension, including $26.5M guaranteed, that makes him one of the league’s highest-paid RBs and clears him to make his season debut Sunday vs. Titans.
Taylor becomes the first… pic.twitter.com/uidsSbbyPi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2023
The monster contract comes after an off-season full of tension between star running backs and their teams in which multiple running backs, including Saquon Barkley of the Giants and Josh Jacobs of the Raiders, felt disrespected by their respective contract offers.
This announcement came just minutes after it was reported that Taylor will make his season debut on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans after missing the first four games of the 2023 season with an injury.
This is a somewhat shocking development after it looked like the relationship between Taylor and the Colts was damaged beyond repair this offseason. After failed negotiations on a new contract, the Colts granted Taylor permission to seek a trade in August after he requested a trade following a meeting with team owner Jim Irsay.
While teams like the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins reportedly made offers, the Colts were unable to find a package that they were content with. After the Colts' deadline to trade Taylor passed, the All-Pro running back looked stuck in a no-win situation. It seems that is no longer the case.
A second-round pick out of Wisconsin in the 2020 draft, Taylor appeared in 43 games over the first three years of his career, rushing for 3,841 yards and 33 touchdowns on 756 carries. The 24-year-old was a Pro-Bowler and All-Pro in 2021 following an 1,811-yard, 18-touchdown season in 2021.
The young 2-2 Colts now add one of the best offensive players in the NFL back into the fold of their offense, making them a tough challenge for any team the rest of the season, and for the next three years.
