The ongoing contractual battle between Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts reached a potential breaking point over the weekend when the veteran running back formally requested a trade. On Tuesday, free agent NFL kicker Robbie Gould sat down with Pro Football Network’s Trey Wingo to discuss the Taylor situation in Indy and a host of other topics.
Robbie Gould Stresses Jonathan Taylor’s Importance to Indianapolis Colts
Taylor is entering the final season of his rookie contract, but Colts owner Jim Irsay told ESPN last week that his club has not submitted an extension offer to the former second-round pick. Irsay, who met with Taylor on Sunday, said Indianapolis has no intention of trading Taylor either now or during the 2023 season.
Taylor only appeared in 11 games in 2022, but he led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns the year prior. He was named a first-team All-Pro and finished second in Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2021.
“It comes down to production, and Jonathan Taylor is one of those guys that’s had a lot of high production,” Gould told Wingo. “He has helped a lot of quarterbacks in that offense work with the play-action pass. It’s been great for the receivers to be able to get open.
“To me, I look at him as a possible MVP candidate — somebody that knows he’s going to get the ball more than he’s probably ever gotten it before, and that takes a toll on your body and cuts down on the length of his career.”
Taylor is currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. The Colts have threatened to place him on the non-football injury (NFI) list after he allegedly experienced back pain while working out on his own in Arizona.
Taylor has since indicated that he “never had a back pain” and “never reported a back pain.” If Indianapolis shifts Taylor to the NFI list, they wouldn’t be required to pay him his salary for the 2023 season.
“I’m sure his back is tight,” Gould said. “He’s a running back!
“Whether Jonathan Taylor had a back injury, or tightness, or stiffness, has nothing to do with the guy himself, right? He wants a new contract; he wants to get a new deal. He came into training camp to be around his guys and to not lose $30,000 a day.”
If Taylor eventually returns to the field, he’ll be playing alongside first-round quarterback Anthony Richardson. As Wingo noted, the Colts will be deploying a new starting QB for the seventh straight season.
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“The best medicine for a rookie quarterback is a dynamic running game,” Gould said. “If you look at how that team was built, Jonathan Taylor is the best player on that football team.”
Gould, an 18-year NFL veteran, certainly knows a thing or two about elite running backs, having played alongside Matt Forte, Christian McCaffrey, and others during his various pro stops. He recently told NBC Sports Bay Area he plans to continue his career in 2023.
