Colts give Taylor permission to seek trade

Indianapolis Colts running backwards jonathan taylor He has been given permission by the team to seek a trade, a team source confirmed to the athletic. ESPN was the first to report the news. Here’s what you need to know:

• Taylor was seeking a contract extension entering the final year of his rookie deal, and he expressed his discontent this offseason with the dwindling running back market. The 2021 All-Pro First Team requested a trade on July 29league sources confirmed to The Athletic.
• Colts owner Jim Irsay told the media in July that the team had no plans to trade Taylor.
• Taylor missed six games last year with a nagging right ankle injury that required surgery in January. Currently on the PUP roster, he hasn’t practiced since training camp began on July 26.
• Christian McCaffrey he was the last first-team All-Pro running back to be traded. He was shipped from Carolina to San Francisco midseason last year in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

the athleticInstant analysis of:

Foals blink first

Two days ago, in the middle of a confrontation with his team’s star running back, Irsay appeared on local Colts broadcast during their preseason game against the Bears.

Irsay was not asked about Taylor, but he nevertheless addressed the elephant in the room and praised Taylor as a player and a person. The owner even went so far as to say, “We’re excited to have Jonathan Taylor back.” However, that is still clearly not the case.

About three weeks after Irsay said the Colts wouldn’t trade Taylor, it appears the team has changed course. Taylor said in April that “it wouldn’t be a distraction” if he didn’t get an extension before the season started, but that’s exactly who he’s become. The star running back hinted at his frustrations in June by saying, “You see why guys are asking for trades.” After trying hard ever since, Taylor is able to get his wish.

Taylor traveled with Indianapolis to Philadelphia for their joint practice Tuesday and the final preseason game Thursday, but Colts coach Shane Steichen said he didn’t know if or when Taylor would practice. The 24-year-old running back, who hasn’t spoken to the media since June, hasn’t participated in an on-field team activity since the Colts lost at Minnesota last December. Taylor has yet to receive medical clearance, according to Steichen, even though he said in April that his ankle surgery was a “perfect success.” — child

Indianapolis will not only give away an All-Pro running back, but if it finds a way to get away from Taylor, it will make life that much harder for rookie QB Anthony Richardson. The Colts’ No. 4 pick started just 13 games in Florida with a 6-7 record. His 53.8 completion percentage ranked 13th out of 14 SEC starting quarterbacks in 2022. By having Taylor in the backfield, he forces opponents to pay more attention to Indy’s running game, opening up easier pitching lines and reads for Richardson.

Steichen, former Eagles offensive coordinator, helped jalen hurts turning a corner in 2021 and taking a giant leap forward in 2022 without a superstar running back. However, the Eagles traded for the star wide receiver aj brown last year and they have one of the best offensive lines in the nfl. The Colts can’t say the same, and while Richardson will still get the moments of success from him, without Taylor drawing much attention, any reading options or RPO schemes won’t have the same effect.

“You hope Shane creates an offense to simplify things (for Richardson), and Jonathan Taylor coming back is a huge asset because of that dual threat of his unprecedented speed and (athletics),” Irsay said in April. “They are both unprecedented players at the position, in terms of size, speed and what they can do.” — child

Colts running back depth chart

If Taylor is traded, the Colts running back consists of zack mosswho comes out with a broken right arm, veteran kenya drake, deon jackson, jake funks, jason huntley and fifth-round rookie pick evan helmet. Neither of them has rushed for 1,000 yards in an NFL season. The closest any of them have come was Drake with 955 yards for the cardinals in 2020.

Hull started the Colts’ preseason opener and finished with seven carries for 15 yards. Jackson backed him up and totaled six carries for 35 yards.

Colts All-Pro Left Guard nelson He said earlier this month that his team couldn’t focus in Taylor’s absence and that the next running back would have to step up. But he’s no stranger to how much a healthy Taylor changes the perspective of an offense. Since he entered the NFL in 2020, Taylor ranks fourth with 3,841 rushing yards and is tied for second with 33 rushing touchdowns.

“Just looking at him, he’s yoked,” Nelson said. “He can run you over. He can leave you behind. He can trick you. He brings a lot to the table and you know how special JT is.” — child

background

Taylor was named first-team All-Pro in 2021, the first for a Colts running back since 1999, after leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,811) and (18) touchdowns.

Taylor initially injured his ankle in Week 4 last season, worsening in Week 8 and spraining his ankle again in Week 15 before being placed on injured reserve at the end of the season. He only planned to rehab the ankle this offseason, but as the discomfort continued, Taylor ultimately decided it was a “no brainer” to have surgery.

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(Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)