Colts’ troubling history looms over Jonathan Taylor negotiations

The Indianapolis Colts are quietly entering the 2026 NFL season with maybe the most complete roster in the AFC South. Quarterback Daniel Jones looks to be on track for a potential Week 1 start, which would be nine months after he tore his Achilles. Meanwhile, the team re-signed Alec Pierce to a massive four-year, $114 million deal, they'll have last year's rookie standout Tyler Warren entering Year 2, and a strong defense headlined by DeForest Buckner, Laiatu Latu, and Sauce Gardner. But it's no secret that this team will only go as far as Jonathan Taylor can take them. According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, Taylor is hoping for an extension as he heads into the final year of his deal after a monster 2025 season in which he totaled 1,585 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, along with 378 receiving yards and two receiving scores. He ranked third in the NFL in total scrimmage yards and first in scrimmage touchdowns. But the negotiations up to this point have been quiet. And that silence is the last thing Colts fans want to hear, given Taylor's history with the franchise. More news: CJ Stroud Gearing Up for ‘Prove-It’ Season as Texans Extension Talks Heat Up More news: Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez Emerges as Hold-in Candidate Before Training Camp Taylor just proved that he's still one of the league's most explosive backs. But his $14 million AAV now sits below six other running backs, Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million), Christian McCaffrey ($19 million), De'Von Achane ($16 million), Derrick Henry ($15 million), Breece Hall ($14.5 million), and Kenneth Walker III ($14.3 million). After what he did last season, Taylor wants a raise, and this isn't the first time he and the organization have done this dance. In 2023, he and the Colts became locked in a contract dispute as Taylor entered the final year of his rookie deal. He was fighting for an extension before the season that would've made him among the NFL's top running backs, but Indianapolis initially refused to negotiate. This led Taylor to request a trade after a meeting with owner Jim Irsay in July. Irsay publicly stated the team would not trade him, and the standoff stretched into the regular season. Ultimately, both sides resolved the dispute in October, when Taylor signed a three-year, $42 million extension. But by then, he had already missed the first four games of the season. That's why anything involving Taylor and contract negotiations hits differently than just about any other player in the league. At 27 years old, Taylor is getting to that point where running backs typically start to decline, making this likely his last major contract. More news: Bills Closing in on Extension With Key Josh Allen Protector