Jonathan Taylor wants out.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Saturday night that the All-Pro running back has formally requested a trade by the Indianapolis Colts.
Rapoport reported the request came after Taylor met with team owner Jim Irsay Saturday.
Sources: #Colts star RB Jonathan Taylor has formally requested a trade after meeting with owner Jim Irsay. pic.twitter.com/BH7dhZAzUD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 30, 2023
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported Taylor made the request to Colts GM Chris Ballard several days ago, although Taylor and Irsay did meet Saturday.
Colts owner Jim Irsay just pulled up to practice and invited a guest onto his luxury bus: RB Jonathan Taylor. 👀 pic.twitter.com/trr9yQN95R
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) July 29, 2023
Taylor, 24, is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. Irsay has said he wants to pay Taylor “when it’s time.” However, Irsay raised eyebrows Thursday with a tweet calling out the “NFL Running Back situation,” saying it was “inappropriate” for agents to try to negotiate contracts outside the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. He added that some agents are selling “bad faith.”
Irsay denied the comments were aimed at Taylor.
“We love Jonathan, we need Jonathan,” Irsay clarified to reporters Friday. “Our hope is Jonathan has an outstanding year and that we have a good year as a team and then we get his next contract done. That’s the hope. We think the world of him as a person, as a player. It’s just timing. When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid.”
Taylor suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 last season, and he never fully recovered, rushing for 861 yards in 11 games. That came on the heels of his huge 1,811-yard, 18-touchdown season in 2021.
Taylor underwent ankle surgery in January, and while he had appeared ready to return for training camp, the Colts placed him on the active/physically unable to perform list this week.
Whether he plays another game for the Colts now remains to be seen. The NFL world quickly reacted to the Taylor news.
Trading Jonathan Taylor is going to be an extremely tricky proposition.
While the Colts don’t seem inclined to pay top of the market for an RB, they also are going to ask for a steep package in return.
Finding a team willing to pay the trade price and the contract price is…
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 30, 2023
Is Jonathan Taylor getting a big contact if a team were to trade for him? Probably not. Giving up picks and paying a back? And he’s a heck of a player. Position value matters.
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) July 30, 2023
Fantasy managers: “What great structure for Anthony Richardson to succeed in Indianapolis. Soundly run organization and he gets to hand off to Jonathan Taylor in a ball control offense. What could go wrong?”
Jim Irsay: pic.twitter.com/pSg2GAfjDO
— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) July 30, 2023
https://twitter.com/KingJosiah54/status/1685449891978588160
Probably the best argument in Jonathan Taylor's favor is that he made late-era Carson Wentz look passable for most of a season pic.twitter.com/NCV6uem392
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) July 30, 2023
