Jonathan Taylor Trade Rumors: 2 Teams Willing to Give Colts RB 'Market Contract' | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Emily Baldwin Jonathan Taylor's potential departure from the Indianapolis Colts appears to be drawing closer.
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported that two NFL teams are interested in trading for the disgruntled running back and are prepared to give him a contract that is reflective of the current market.
JosinaAnderson @JosinaAndersonI'm told at this hour, at least two teams are still actively working to construct a trade for <a href="">#Colts</a> RB Jonathan Taylor --respectively making substantive offers--and are mutually willing to give Taylor a market contract, per source.
While there is no exact number that identifies what a "market contract" is, recent deals for Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley may be solid points to look at. Both backs were franchise-tagged and failed to come to terms on an extension with their respective teams. Barkley's deal is worth up to $11 million in 2023 while Jacobs' deal is worth up to $12 million in 2023.
While the one-year length on those deals is something that running backs are not happy about, the increase in pay for Taylor would be a significant one. He is set to take home $4.3 million in 2023 and appears to be a candidate for a franchise tag the season after.
This puts him in a similar position to what Barkley and Jacobs were facing and he is seeking to be paid his worth as soon as possible. He led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2021 with 1,811 and 18 respectively. He saw a dip in production in 2022, getting 861 yards and four touchdowns, but did this in 11 games as he dealt with an ankle injury that ended up requiring surgery.
A healthy Taylor is as dynamic as Barkley and Jacobs and could provide a boost to a contending team. The Miami Dolphins appear to be a team linked, per Stephen Holder of ESPN, but a second team looking for Taylor's services means that his stock is rising.