Jonathan Taylor‘s exit from Indianapolis could be on the horizon.
The Colts have given the running back permission to seek a trade, ESPN reported Monday. Taylor previously requested a trade from the Colts in late July, but the team said it would not honor the request at that time.
“We will not trade Jonathan Taylor,” Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters in July. “That is a certainty. Not now or not in October.”
Before demanding a trade, Taylor was seeking a new contract from the Colts as he prepared for the final season of his four-year rookie contract.
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ESPN also reported the Colts are seeking a first-round pick, or equivalent value, in return for the running back.
While the initial days following the trade request were tumultuous between both parties, there appeared to be some signs of an improved relationship recently. Irsay said he and general manager Chris Ballard were “going to work hard on and try to get the waters as calm as they can and go forward” during the team’s broadcast of their preseason game against the Bears on Saturday.
There was also hope that Taylor would be activated from the physically unable to perform list following offseason ankle surgery in the coming days and rejoin the team after an excused personal absence from practice. Colts coach Shane Steichen even said that Taylor would travel with the team to Philadelphia for their final preseason game against the Eagles, but it appears that may no longer be the case.
Taylor joined the Colts in 2020 when the team selected him in the second round of that year’s draft. He quickly became one of the game’s best running backs, rushing for 1,169 yards as a rookie before posting a league-best 1,811 rushing yards in 2021. He struggled with injuries in 2022, rushing for 861 yards in 11 games.
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