30 July 2023 , 12:59
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Indianapolis Colts star Jonathan Taylor has reportedly requested a trade ahead of the new season.
Taylor has been busy getting ready for his third year in the NFL and with the Colts. He was drafted with the No. 41 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and has gone on to become a key figure in the team’s offense. After claiming the most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2021, his absence in 2022 was keenly felt after an ankle injury suffered in Week 4.
The running back is about to enter the fourth and final year of the rookie contract he first signed when he joined the Colts. And now it has been reported that Taylor, who is currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, wants his future decided.
According to NFL Network, Taylor met with Colts owner Jim Irsay and subsequently requested a trade from the franchise. It has been claimed that Taylor is seeking a contract extension that would place him alongside the highest earning running backs across the league.
The meeting between Taylor and Irsay is reported to have taken place on the team bus following a practice session on Saturday with the Colts owner quoted in the article giving an update on Taylor’s future. It has been claimed that he will have no interest in giving the running back an extension anytime soon.
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In response to the suggestion that Taylor would seek a trade, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer claims to have received a text from Irsay, putting an immediate end to any hopes the running back may have of seeking the contract he desires elsewhere.: "We're not trading Jonathan ... end of discussion. Not now and not in October!"
Taylor is not the first running back to be the subject of speculation regarding their future and contract negotiations. Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants and Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders were each handed the franchise tag by their respective franchise.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor reportedly met with the team's owner Jim Irsay after practice this week (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Barkley ended up agreeing to a one-year contract after the franchise tag deadline passed. However, Jacobs is yet to sign any deal and his future with the Raiders going into the 2023 regular season is in doubt.
For Taylor, the latest reports and messages from the Colts seems to suggest that he will not be getting a new deal anytime soon. And it remains to be seen whether or not the front office decides to agree to his trade request before the season begins.
Taylor has been one of the most important players for the Colts offense in recent seasons. Scoring 33 touchdowns with 3,841 rushing yards, the Colts are likely to be keen on making sure the situation is sorted out as quickly as possible.