The one they didn’t sell
Indianapolis spent the trade deadline taking its roster apart. Guard Quenton Nelson is gone. So are wide receiver Josh Downs and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and Keenan Allen was sent to San Francisco. Jonathan Taylor is still there, and on Thursday he made it clear he isn’t going to second-guess anyone.
“That’s way above my pay grade,” the running back said when asked about the front office’s choices. He added that he was glad not to be the one making those calls, and that the team has “a vision and a plan.” His focus, in his words, is simply showing up at his best for his coaches and teammates every day. Then came the line Colts fans will like most: it’s time to go beat Miami.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
A star on a 2-7 team
The context is grim. The Colts are 2-7, have lost five straight and are on course to miss the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. Keeping Taylor wasn’t about a late push. It was a bet on him as a cornerstone for whatever comes next.
The numbers explain why. Since Indianapolis took him in the second round in 2020, Taylor has run for 8,254 yards, second in the league over that span behind only Derrick Henry, with 77 rushing touchdowns. He has three Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro nod. Last season he led the NFL with 18 rushing scores.
A quieter stretch
This year has been decent rather than dominant: 656 yards and eight touchdowns through nine games. The last two have been rough, though, with just 69 yards and no scores as the losing streak grew. At 27 and signed through 2028 after a two-year, $44 million extension before the season, he isn’t going anywhere soon. Sunday against the Dolphins is the first test of the post-deadline Colts.
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