Jonathan Taylor is the kind of player the Indianapolis Colts can’t afford to lose for even a stretch. He may not be the only star on the roster, but he’s the engine that changes everything for the offense. If he’s out, the whole unit gets stripped down, and that’s a problem for a team trying to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
That’s why his situation at training camp is worth watching so closely. Taylor is 27, has already handled a heavy workload in his career, and he wants a new deal that pays him like the top-tier back he’s been when healthy.
The Colts, meanwhile, have to think beyond the immediate future. A long-term extension would have to account for both his value now and the reality that running backs can fade quickly as they near 30.
There’s also the memory of how this went down before. In 2023, Taylor had a contract dispute with Indianapolis while he was coming back from offseason ankle surgery, and his placement on the physically unable to perform list to open the season may have been tied to that standoff.
He returned right after signing his extension. This time, though, there’s no injury issue in play, so the exact same scenario isn’t on the table.
Still, that doesn’t mean camp will be smooth. Taylor is expected to arrive Tuesday, and once practice starts Wednesday, the big question is whether he goes full speed or holds back.
Given what happened in 2023, that possibility can’t be brushed aside. Maybe the two sides are already working on an extension, even if general manager Chris Ballard usually doesn’t rush into these matters.
The Colts have already dealt with plenty of unhappy players this offseason, which only adds another layer to the Taylor situation. Kenny Moore asked to be traded and then asked to be released in hopes of landing with a winning team that better fit his defensive role, and he’s still a free agent.
Anthony Richardson also requested a trade, though nothing came of it and he remains on the roster. Zaire Franklin made his frustration with the team’s direction known, and he was dealt to the Green Bay Packers.
Indianapolis also overhauled its off-ball linebacker group, something the team clearly needed.
Taylor hasn’t asked out. At least not yet.
He understands his worth to the Colts, and the Colts hopefully understand it too. But if he shows up to camp and doesn’t practice fully, that’s when the noise gets louder.
For Indianapolis, this isn’t just about keeping its best offensive player happy right now. It’s about making sure he stays that way in 2026, 2027 and beyond.
In Other News...
Colts May Have Found Their Answer In The Middle Of Defense
The Colts defense is already looking ahead to 2026, and one of the more intriguing names in that conversation is rookie linebacker CJ Allen. A second-round pick out of Georgia, Allen arrives with the kind of pedigree that can fast-track a young defender into real responsibility, especially when a team is trying to identify who can grow into a central role in the middle of the field.
What makes Allen worth watching is not just the draft slot, but the way Indianapolis seems positioned to lean on him sooner rather than later. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has already shown confidence in the rookie, and that matters for a unit looking for stability and leadership in the middle. The Colts may not be ready to hand him the whole job yet, but the opening is there, and Allen has the profile to turn it into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
The Voices Behind Philip Rivers' Colts Return Will Surprise Fans
When Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles injury in Week 14, the Colts suddenly needed a veteran answer, and Philip Rivers emerged as the unexpected one. The move brought Rivers back out of retirement after a five-year layoff, and it also reconnected him with familiar voices in Shane Steichen and Frank Reich, two coaches who knew him well from his Chargers days and helped shape the conversation around whether a comeback made sense.
Rivers ultimately took the ball for three games against playoff teams and kept Indianapolis in the fight more often than not, which made the late-season detour feel more like a real football decision than a nostalgia play. Even without a postseason trip, the return added another strange and memorable chapter to a quarterback career that seemed finished, then suddenly was not, and it left plenty of room to wonder what the next step might be. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Decision On Kenny Moore II Suddenly Looks Very Different
When the Colts moved on from Kenny Moore II, it was framed as part of a broader reset in the secondary, a chance to get younger, cheaper and more flexible on defense. The decision also cleared nearly $10 million in cap space, but it came with a clear football cost: Moore was still one of the more proven nickelbacks in the league, with Pro Bowl credentials and years of experience in a role that has become central to how Indianapolis wants to play.
Now the Colts are proceeding without him, and the early plan says a lot about how much theyre asking of the next wave. Justin Walley and Austin Brown are expected to handle most of the nickel work, with rookie A.J. Haulcy and Cam Bynum also rotating in. That is a very different look from the one Moore provided, and it leaves the Colts betting that their revamped approach can hold up even as one of the more familiar pieces of the defense remains on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]