Jonathan Taylor inks three-year, $42 million contract extension with Colts

Jonathan Taylor’s holdout has ended in an emphatic fashion. The Colts‘ star running back has come to terms with the team on a three-year, $42 million extension that includes $26.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL Media and confirmed by CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson.

Taylor had been in a contentious contract dispute with the club after Colts owner Jim Irsay said that the team would not extend Taylor’s contract before the start of the 2023 season. Irsay apparently had a change of heart while helping Taylor reset the running back market in the process. 

The four-year veteran is now one of the league’s highest-aid running backs, joining the ranks of Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb. Each of those players make at least $12.2 million annually under multiyear contracts. 

Taylor’s deal will likely impact the pending contracts of Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Austin Ekeler, who are each slated to be free agents next offseason. 

Saturday’s news comes after the team activated Taylor off of the physically unable to perform list, making Taylor eligible to play in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. Taylor is currently listed as questionable as he continues to work through an ankle injury that sidelined him during the season’s first four games. 

When healthy, the 24-year-old, former second-round pick has played at a high level during his time in Indianapolis. He ran for over 1,100 yards as a rookie and in 2021 won the league’s rushing title after running for a franchise record 1,811 yards. 

Despite the contract situation, the Colts have been steadfast about their desire to keep Taylor in the fold for the long haul. Taylor also expressed his desire to remain in Indianapolis just days prior to signing his extension. 

“I’m here right now and my No. 1 thing is to take care of my teammates,” Taylor said, via the team’s website. “A lot of people worry about what I want, what I want — it doesn’t matter what necessarily I want. What matters is what this team needs, what this team wants, what this city wants and what this city needs. What this city needs is a championship. And while I’m here, that’s what I’m going to work my tail off to do.”