Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has sat out during the first four games due to being put on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing ankle surgery in the offseason, but the team is eyeing a close return for their star.
Taylor is expected to return to practice on Wednesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported. The running back has a 21-day practice window, so if the Colts activate him Wednesday, they will need to either put him on the active roster, or on injured reserve, by Oct. 24. He would be eligible to be activated as early as the Colts’ Week 5 game vs. Tennessee.
The 24-year-old requested a trade from the Colts back in July after the two sides failed to agree on a contract extension. The Colts spoke with other teams for about a month before placing Taylor on the PUP list.
The running back is due around $4.3 million this season on the last year of his rookie contract. The Colts are still looking into other trade offers, per Pelissero and Rapoport. The Packers and Dolphins—the two teams involved before the season—are no longer talking with the Colts about Taylor.
The Colts have gone 2–1 so far in Taylor’s absence, and Indianapolis plays the Rams on Sunday.