The Colts didn’t make Jonathan Taylor’s future a debate for long.
Indianapolis locked up its franchise rushing leader with a two-year extension worth $44 million, keeping a player who has already done plenty to justify the investment. For a team that watched Taylor carry it at times and post a stellar 2025 season, the move keeps the offense pointed in the right direction.
Taylor’s path hasn’t been smooth. After his breakout in 2021, it looked like injuries and missed games might have slowed him down for good.
That kind of stretch can change the course of a career. Instead, Taylor found his footing again and pushed right back into the conversation with the league’s best.
Over the last two seasons, he has piled up more than 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. He’s already the Colts’ franchise leader in rushing touchdowns, and last year he was operating among the NFL’s top tier even without the quarterback spotlight attached to him. The message from Indianapolis is clear: keep feeding the guy who has earned it.
A full-strength Daniel Jones could matter here too. If he gives the Colts the offensive balance they need, Taylor should have even more room to do what he does best.
Will Taylor be worth every penny of the new deal? That’s the question every team asks when it hands out this kind of money.
But right now, the answer is simple: he is. His past production made the contract make sense, and the Colts are betting the rest will follow.
In Other News...
Colts Suddenly Have A Bigger Concern With Rookie LB CJ Allen
Rookie linebacker CJ Allen had been working his way toward a key role with the Colts, but Thursday brought another setback when he was held out of practice because of a hamstring injury, according to coach Shane Steichen. Allen is expected to start at linebacker once he is healthy, which makes his availability a meaningful subplot as the team continues sorting out its defensive plans.
It is also a familiar sort of frustration for Allen, who had already missed earlier practices while on the PUP list because of a calf injury. Now there is no timetable for his return, leaving Indianapolis with a little more uncertainty than it wanted around a young player it was counting on to help anchor the middle of the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Vinatieris Hall Of Fame Choice Will Sting Some Patriots Fans
Adam Vinatieris Hall of Fame moment will come with a Colts connection front and center, as Carlie Irsay-Gordon is set to present the honor. Vinatieri spent 14 seasons in Indianapolis, where he became the NFLs all-time leading scorer and won a Super Bowl, so it makes sense that his enshrinement would lean into the part of his career that helped define both him and the franchise.
Vinatieri specifically chose Irsay-Gordon for the presentation because of his long run with the Colts and her leadership role after the passing of her father, Jim Irsay. For Colts fans, it is another reminder of how closely his legacy is tied to Indianapolis, even if plenty of Patriots supporters will have a harder time swallowing the full scope of what this honor represents. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Face A Brutal Training Camp Reality They Cannot Ignore
Indianapolis spent part of last summer watching two rookies, Justin Walley and Hunter Wohler, go down in training camp and get lost for the season, a reminder of how quickly a roster can be dented before the games even count. This years camp has been far kinder so far, with the Colts avoiding major injuries to projected starters, which is exactly the kind of early break a team needs as it tries to turn a promising roster into something sturdier.
Alec Pierce is still working his way back from offseason surgery, and that alone keeps the Colts mindful of how thin the margin can be at this time of year. Bernhard Raimann, CJ Allen, Laiatu Latu and Pierce are among the names Indianapolis can least afford to lose, which is why every healthy practice matters and every scare around those spots carries extra weight as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]