Jonathan Taylor is getting paid like one of the NFL’s elite, and the Colts are locking him in for the long haul.
The former Wisconsin star has agreed to a two-year, $44 million contract extension with Indianapolis, according to multiple reports. That keeps the 27-year-old under contract through 2028, instead of sending him toward free agency after the 2026 season.
At $22 million per year, Taylor now sits as the second-highest-paid running back in football. Only Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson is ahead of him, after the Falcons and Robinson reached a three-year deal worth up to $75 million earlier this week at $22.5 million annually.
For the Colts, this is a commitment to a player who has already piled up a massive résumé. Taylor entered the league as a second-round pick in 2020 and is closing in on the franchise rushing record. He has 7,598 career rushing yards, with only Edgerrin James’ 9,226 standing in front of him.
His latest season was a monster one. Taylor led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns and 323 carries, while adding 1,585 rushing yards and 46 receptions for 378 yards. It was enough to earn him his third Pro Bowl nod, and his second straight.
This also comes after a previous contract standoff that put his future in doubt. Taylor was at the center of the running back value debate during his last extension, and it even seemed possible he could be traded before the 2023 season before he ultimately reached an agreement with the Colts.
The market has shifted again since then, with Saquon Barkley and players like Robinson and Taylor helping restore some shine to the position’s value.
Taylor’s production has been no surprise to anyone who watched him at Wisconsin. He was a three-year standout for the Badgers and left college with more rushing yards through his junior season than any player in NCAA history: 6,174 yards on 926 carries, a 6.7-yard average, and 50 rushing touchdowns. He was a two-time All-American, finished in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting all three years at UW, and won two Doak Walker Awards.
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