While discussing the future of running back Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard completely whiffed on giving a reasonable answer for why Taylor hasn’t been paid yet.
Taylor is starting the NFL season on the physically unable to perform list, which limits him at least four games this season. It was the temporary conclusion to the ongoing saga about Taylor getting a fair contract extension, which the Colts seem adamant in avoiding.
While the team seems unserious about the idea of actually trading Taylor, their reasoning for not just giving him a new deal feels equally unserious.
According to Ballard, not signing Taylor is sparked by the team winning four games last season. What?
Good follow from @RomeovilleKid, asking Chris Ballard why the team didn’t wanna pay Jonathan Taylor now, despite Ballard repeating his mantra “you pay great players.”
“Then why not pay him?”
Ballard: “We won four games last year. We won four games.”
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) August 30, 2023
Ballard was vocal about wanting to repair the relationship between the team and Taylor. He gave an incredibly nuanced response to the situation as a whole, which makes the actual reasoning for a lack of payment that much more disappointing.
Expanded quotes from #Colts GM Chris Ballard on Jonathan Taylor, the team’s stance in trade talks, Taylor’s ankle and the chances of reconciliation: pic.twitter.com/VdezS2WfgH
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 30, 2023
The reality of the situation likely comes down to the Colts just wanting to wait Taylor out until his price comes down. It’s the world’s longest blinking contest, and Indianapolis probably wants to see how long it can hold its eyes open without giving up a major deal to Taylor.
Ballard’s reasoning just does not hold any water for not paying the team’s best player. If you won four games last year, wouldn’t you want to, y’know, ensure that the parts about your team that actually worked would be in place for the years to come?
Even though Taylor’s numbers were down last year compared to his mind-blowing highs (2,171 all-purpose yards, 20 touchdowns in 2021), it wasn’t the running back’s fault that the Colts had one of the worst offensive lines in the league and switched offensive play callers in November 2022 after Frank Reich was fired.
Taylor still had 1,004 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in 11 games last fall, missing a couple of contests with injury. Being that he’s only 24, Taylor is as likely to have a rebound season as any elite talent in the NFL once he gets completely healthy. He’s as good as you can get at the position.
The Colts are either going to have to meet Taylor in the middle on a contract, or the team will eventually trade one of the most electric players in the game. It just depends on when Indianapolis relents on compensation, or when the team just decides that not paying their best player is worth losing him.
