Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters on Wednesday that he is not happy about the ongoing quarrel between the franchise and Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor was not present during the Colts’ practice earlier Wednesday nor did he come to the team’s facility. His absence comes a day after the franchise decided to keep him on the physically unable to perform list, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Taylor’s status—for now—indicates that he will miss the Colts first four games of the regular season, which include clashes against the Jaguars, Texans, Ravens and Rams. However, while Ballard said the situation “sucks”, he shared an optimistic approach on the franchise mending its relationship with the 24-year-old.
“It sucks for the Colts, it sucks for Jonathan Taylor, and it sucks for the fans,” Ballard said, per Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. “It’s where we’re at, and we’re gonna work through it ... relationships are reparable.”
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The Colts had until 4 p.m. ET Tuesday to decide if they would trade Taylor or keep him on the PUP list. However, according to Rapoport, Indianapolis did not receive a viable trade offer for Taylor. The fourth-year running back is also still recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
In July, Taylor requested a trade from Indianapolis after both parties failed to secure an agreement on a long-term contract extension. Taylor is entering the last year of his rookie deal and could enter free agency in the 2024 offseason.
With Taylor’s current PUP status, he will not be eligible to return for Indianapolis until its Week 5 clash against the Titans.
