Jonathan Taylor, Colts drama: Indianapolis signs veteran RB Kenyan Drake, who’s got a ‘new fire’ under him

With Jonathan Taylor’s situation in flux, the Indianapolis Colts have signed veteran running back Kenyan Drake, his agents confirmed via social media. The team announced the signing on Saturday.

Drake is looking forward to joining the Colts, who will be his fourth team in four seasons. 

“Playing this game that I love. I worked my ass off this offseason, with no team,” Drake told CBS Sports HQ’s Josina Anderson. “Got a new fire under me.” 

Taylor, the league’s rushing champion just two years ago, has not been practicing with the team after team owner Jim Irsay said he would not extend Taylor’s contract prior to the start of the season. Taylor, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, is set to receive $4.3 million in base salary and a $813,482 signing bonus for the 2023 season. His market value calls for an annual salary of just over $13 million, according to Spotrac.  

A third-round in the 2016 NFL Draft, Drake spent his first two-plus seasons in Miami before he was traded to Arizona during the 2019 season. He stayed in Arizona for the 2020 season before joining the Raiders for the 2021 campaign. He tallied over 1,000 all-purpose yards each year from 2018-20 despite playing for three different teams over that span. 

As a member of the Cardinals in 2020, Drake set career-highs with 955 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. A solid receiver, Drake has 199 career receptions and seven career touchdown receptions. Drake appeared in 12 games in 2021 before suffering a broken right ankle that prematurely ended his season. 

Drake signed with the Ravens just before the start of the 2022 season. He started five games and rushed for 482 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Drake had 119 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in Baltimore’s Week 6 loss to the Giants. 

Drake is joining a Colts offense that also includes Taylor and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who has impressed many of his teammates during training camp. 

“His work ethic and his poise in the huddle, for a rookie, has impressed me a lot,” Colts guard Quenton Nelson recently said of Richardson, via ESPN. “The growth I’ve seen from OTAs til now, you could tell that in the offseason he was at home… studying, he was working on calling the plays and the huddle. I’m really happy with where he is at right now.”