Jonathan Taylor’s new deal didn’t just quiet any contract noise in Indianapolis. It also dropped him into a surprisingly crowded neighborhood at the top of the running back market.
The Colts locked up Taylor on a two-year, $44 million extension that runs through the 2028 season and includes $39 million in total guaranteed money. It’s the largest third contract ever handed out to a running back in NFL history, and it’s Taylor’s second major extension with Indianapolis after the one he signed in 2023.
So while the Colts can move into the season without another looming offseason headache, the bigger conversation now is where Taylor fits among the NFL’s highest-paid backs. On an annual basis, he lands fourth on the list.
At the top sits Saquon Barkley at $20,600,000 per year. Barkley’s first season with the Eagles blew the doors off, as he piled up over 2,000 rushing yards on a career-high 345 carries and scored 13 total touchdowns.
Across the past two seasons, he’s totaled 3,145 yards, 625 carries and 20 touchdowns. His production dipped last season, but the source of that decline wasn’t just him.
Even so, the feeling here is simple: at full strength, Barkley still stands alone as the league’s best runner.
Christian McCaffrey follows at $19,000,000 per year. His value comes from the full package - he’s as dangerous catching the ball as he is carrying it.
Over the past three seasons, leaving out the 2024 campaign he essentially missed entirely, McCaffrey has put up more than 4,000 yards of total offense, 752 touches and 38 total touchdowns. He remains a nightmare for defenses because he can beat them in so many different ways.
Then comes Jahmyr Gibbs at $22,500,000 per year. With David Montgomery now with the Houston Texans, Gibbs no longer has to share the load in Detroit.
That doesn’t mean he was hidden before - far from it. Over the last two seasons, Gibbs rushed for 1,412 yards in 2024 and 1,223 yards in 2025, even while Montgomery topped 700 yards in both seasons.
Now, the backfield belongs to Gibbs, and the expectation is that he can make a real push toward 2,000 yards this year.
Taylor checks in just behind him at $22,000,000 per year. He’s coming off the second-best season of his six-year career, which is about to become seven.
Last season, Taylor ran for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns on 323 carries, finishing just nine carries shy of his 2021 workload while matching his 2021 touchdown total. Over the past two seasons, he has stacked up more than 3,000 rushing yards and more than 600 carries, serving as the centerpiece of the Colts’ offense.
Rounding out the top five is Bijan Robinson at $22,250,000 per year. Even with the Falcons’ situation, Robinson’s talent keeps pushing the conversation forward.
He has come close to back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons and looks like a player on a rocket climb. His running style, his explosiveness and the way he creates highlight-reel plays make him one of the most dangerous backs in the league, and he’s positioned to make another strong run this season.
In Other News...
Colts Have 3 Players Who Should Be Nowhere Near Preseason Action
With the Colts set to open the 2026 preseason against the New England Patriots, the bigger question is not who should start, but who should stay on the sideline. For a team that has already dealt with injuries in recent seasons, the logic is straightforward: there is little to gain by risking Daniel Jones, DeForest Buckner or Tyler Warren in a game that does not count.
The more useful reps should go to the backup quarterbacks, Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson, who can handle the snaps while the Colts keep their core pieces protected. Preseason football is supposed to help teams sort out depth and rhythm, but for Indianapolis, the priority should be preserving the players it cannot afford to lose before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Need Michael Pittman Jr. Back For This Offense To Look Right
Michael Pittman Jr. was back in view at training camp this week, moving through individual work as he continues to recover from the ankle and heel injury that has kept him on the sideline. The Colts still have four practices left before camp wraps up, and while Pittman was also taking time to sign autographs for fans, the bigger picture is clear: Indianapolis has had to lean on other receivers while waiting for its top target to work back into the mix.
The timing matters because Pittman is expected to be ready for the regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, and the Colts know this passing game looks different when he is not on the field. Even in a camp setting, his absence has been noticeable enough to underline how much the offense depends on him to help everything settle into place. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Warren Is Giving Colts Fans A Real Reason For Excitement
Training camp has given Colts fans an early look at why Tyler Warren was such an intriguing first-round pick, and Shane Steichen is not hiding his enthusiasm. The head coach called the rookie tight end phenomenal and said the staff wants to get him the ball in a variety of ways, a pretty strong endorsement for a player Indianapolis is already planning to feature as it tries to move beyond last seasons record and reset the tone for the regular season.
Warrens debut year gave the Colts plenty to build on after he was selected 14th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and went on to lead the team in targets and receiving yards as a rookie. Now the challenge is turning that early promise into something even more disruptive, and the camp buzz suggests Indianapolis sees him as more than a complementary piece. The question is how quickly that usage grows once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]