Colts owner Jim Irsay implied earlier this week that some agents are “selling bad faith” amid the running back market drying up for some of the league’s top ball carriers this offseason.
After the comment appeared to draw the ire of Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who is among the many running backs seeking an extension, based on his agent’s response, Irsay walked back his comments on Thursday while also making an admission: there has not even been an offer made to Taylor to this point.
Taylor is entering the final year of his four-year rookie deal, and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
“The comment wasn’t really directed at Jonathan,” Irsay told ESPN on Thursday. “We haven’t exchanged any contract numbers with each other or anything like that. So it’s not like we’re in the midst of that. I think we had a tough season last year. Didn’t win a lot of games. This is a year about coming back together and having a great year and we’re really depending on Jonathan to team up with Anthony Richardson to try to pull together to have a great year.
“We love Jonathan. We need Jonathan. Our hope is Jonathan has an outstanding year and that we have a good year as a team and then we get his next contract done. That’s the hope. We think the world of him as a person, as a player. It’s just timing. When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid,” Irsay continued.
Taylor led the NFL in rushing two seasons ago, amassing 1,811 yards. However, he played in just 11 games last season due to a high ankle sprain, and rushed for a career-low 861 yards and four touchdowns. He is not practicing yet at training camp after being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list as he continues to recover from ankle surgery.
