Jim Irsay is spending $20 million to release an orca into the wild and everyone had Jonathan Taylor jokes

As talk of how NFL running backs are mistreated on the open market grows, Jim Irsay showed us his true colors in regard to Jonathan Taylor. After apparently having a conversation with Irsay about his future contract, Taylor requested a trade from Indianapolis Colts — a request that will probably not be honored.

All of this is rather ironic because it seems Irsay has a lot of money to throw around willy-nilly in non-football settings.

According to the New York Post, Irsay plans to spend $20 million to transport Lolita, an 8,000-pound orca, cross country from the Miami Seaquarium and release her into a netted bay in Seattle with her pod. It’s a noble cause — especially considering that the same report states Lolita no longer has the strength to swim for long or hunt for herself — but it does somewhat call into question Irsay’s priorities.

If Irsay has $20 million to spend like this, he doesn’t have $20 million, at least in part, to give to his best football player? I’m not sure I like this logic, and the timing and optics aren’t great either.

A lot of NFL fans thought the same, with plenty of Taylor jokes.

This was how Twitter reacted

“Sorry Jonathan Taylor all my money is tied up in whale relocation” https://t.co/1AyQ759XfM

— John Rich (@JohnRichTV) August 2, 2023

Jonathan Taylor https://t.co/uQPZjK7kJP pic.twitter.com/0w6pDrz9Ii

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 3, 2023

Jim Irsay, frantically scanning the rule book to see if there's specific wording that says a killer whale can't play running back https://t.co/arwO9HW7rN

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) August 3, 2023

Jonathan Taylor can’t get $10 mil but Jim Irsay got $20 mil to spare to Free Willy lmao https://t.co/vWS07C1cEA

— JP Acosta (Pug Dederson Stan Acct) (@acosta32_jp) August 3, 2023

Johnathan Taylor gotta be punching air lmaooooo https://t.co/1qZslVSDAU

— vic (@VictionaryHD) August 3, 2023

Jonathon Taylor seeing this https://t.co/RWF9ljwoiE pic.twitter.com/XZIhTpTZOz

— uSTADIUM App (@uSTADIUM) August 3, 2023

Whale, that’s an interesting development in the Jonathan Taylor saga. https://t.co/fVhEoiTjFa

— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) August 3, 2023

I know Johnathan Taylor was heated when he read this https://t.co/Xtfxz4C2Yo

— Chase (@chasekr8) August 3, 2023

I expect a string of things Jim Irsay is going to publicly spend between $20-$60 million on that are not Jonathan Taylor. https://t.co/67T8ph5tzW

— Jeff Bell (@4WhomJBellTolls) August 3, 2023