Jonathan Taylor is getting paid like one of the league’s true headliners.
The Indianapolis Colts and their star running back have agreed to a two-year extension worth a base value of $44 million, according to multiple reports. The deal includes $39 million guaranteed and can climb to a maximum of $47 million.
That puts Taylor right behind Bijan Robinson in the running back pay race. Robinson’s new deal with the Atlanta Falcons, reported just days ago, came in at a base value of $22.75 million per year and helped reset the market. Taylor’s extension now gives him the second-highest average annual value among NFL backs at $22 million, nudging him ahead of Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley, who is at $20.6 million.
The guaranteed money is notable too. Taylor’s $39 million full guarantee is said to edge Robinson for the biggest guarantee ever for a running back, with the exception of Jeremiyah Love’s fully guaranteed rookie-scale contract as the No. 3 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, according to Over the Cap.
Taylor was already set to play out the final season of the three-year, $42 million extension he signed in 2023. He was due a base salary of $11.98 million in 2026 and was scheduled to count $15.562 million against the cap.
The timing makes sense for Indianapolis. Taylor just led the NFL with 323 carries and 18 rushing touchdowns last season, and he has topped 1,400 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in each of the past two years. Now entering his age-27 season, he remains the centerpiece of the Colts’ offense.
That offense has been built to lean heavily on him. Indianapolis opened last season blazing under quarterback Daniel Jones, leading the league in scoring through the first half.
Things changed after Jones suffered an initial leg injury, then took another hit when he tore his Achilles and the Colts had to turn to Philip Rivers, whom they signed off the street. Jones is healthy again heading into training camp, and the Colts are trying to get back to that early-season version of themselves.
They’ve also committed plenty of money elsewhere. Jones returned on a two-year, $88 million contract, and wide receiver Alec Pierce was re-signed for $114 million over four years. With Taylor now locked in, Indianapolis is clearly betting on that trio to carry the offense over the next couple of seasons.
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