With a number of contract extensions having taken place across the NFL in recent months, including one between the Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Taylor, ESPN’s Seth Walder recently ranked the top 10 “most interesting” extensions.
Taylor was among those listed, and he came in at No. 10. Originally, Taylor was entering the final year of his deal in 2026, but the two-year, $44 million extension will keep him in Indianapolis through the 2028 season.
On a per-year basis, Taylor is one of the highest-paid backs in football.
In compiling these rankings, Walder took into account the player, the price, the team’s overall roster, and salary cap situation, among other factors.
Fellow running backs Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs came in at No. 3 and No. 5 on Walder’s list. The main reason those deals were ranked ahead of Taylor’s is that Walder views Robinson and Gibbs as the better players. Taylor is also a couple of years older than both of them as well.
Taylor’s deal is also near the bottom of these rankings because of where he’s at in his career. He’s also shouldered a very heavy workload in both his college and NFL careers.
That said, Taylor is still just 27 years old, and this deal is more reasonable compared to what the top-end players are making at other positions. It’s also not a long-term deal either.
“He had only one year left on his contract and might not have been happy without a new deal,” wrote Walder. “But I don’t think the Colts should pay this much on a deal for Taylor at this stage of his career. The saving grace? It’s still not that expensive relative to other positions.”
Taylor remains one of the most productive backs in football, while continuing to shoulder a heavy workload out of the backfield. He played in 13 games in 2024 and all 17 games last season, rushing for 1,431 yards and 1,585 yards, respectively.
He is ultimately what makes this offense go. When Taylor is on, he’s generating explosive plays and keeping the offense ahead of the sticks, which opens up the playbook for Shane Steichen and opportunities in the passing game.
Walder may not rank this extension all that highly, but the Colts retained a key player, and that’s cerrtainly not a bad thing.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: How Jonathan Taylor’s extension with Colts compares to other big deals
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
