Jim Irsay Really Rubbing it in While Negotiating Against No One for Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor wanted a new contact, but the Indianapolis Colts don't want to give him one. So Taylor said he want a trade. The Colts have no intention of trading him. It's your basic story of a star running back stuck between a rock and a hard place in the modern NFL, but with the Colts involved, that means Jim Irsay is saying things, which automatically makes the situation more interesting.
Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing in 2021, missed six games last season. Now, with one year remaining on his rookie deal, he wants a lucrative extension. Since he's a running back in 2023, he's not going to get one. From anyone, which is why it seems like he's either going to have to play out his deal for an owner who responded to contact negotiations by saying, "If I die tonight and Johnathan Taylor is out of the league, no one's going to miss us. The league goes on."
#Colts owner Jim Irsay: “If I die tonight and Jonathan Taylor is out of the league, no one’s gonna miss us. The league goes on. We know that. The National Football (League) rolls on. It doesn’t matter who comes and who goes, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.”
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) July 30, 2023
Unsurprisingly, this is the quote that preceded the trade request. Also unsurprisingly, the Colts have no intentions of trading such a good player on a rookie deal.
Jim Irsay to FOX59/CBS4: "We will not trade Jonathan Taylor. That is a certainty. Not now or not in October. That is the bottom line.''
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) July 30, 2023
It's highly unlikely that a team is going to swoop in and give everyone what they want. No team is going to give Taylor the deal he wants or the Colts a package worth letting him go. In fact, no team is likely to give any running back the deal he's looking for right now, which is why Saquon Barkley is back in camp with the Giants. Running backs are seen as disposable, no matter how good they are.
I’ve asked a few GMs about Jonathan Taylor’s trade value, and it sounds minimal for many reasons: Most notably, it’s a one-year rental. As one GM noted, next year’s RB market is going to be saturated. No team is likely to do a long-term deal now when RB value could keep dropping.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) July 30, 2023
The truth is, Jim Irsay didn't need to say anything at any point. The lack of offers from the Colts or any other team speak loudly. But Irsay sure does have a way of spicing up the discussion.