Colts GM seems indifferent on RB market, Jonathan Taylor extension

Taylor, who’s in the final season of his four-year, $7.82M rookie deal, ranks 37th among running backs is average annual salary ($1.957M) and will certainly be due for a hefty raise next year. The problem is only five running backs currently make $10M or more per year, and teams don’t seem to be inclined to pay them nearly as handsomely as they do their offensive counterparts (18 quarterbacks, 33 receivers, 12 tight ends and 48 offensive linemen make more than $10M per season).

There are 104 players who make more per year than the NFL’s highest-paid RB (San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey), per Spotrac, and Taylor likely has an uphill battle if he’s to convince the Colts he’s worth as much, if not more, than defensive tackle DeForest Buckner or linebacker Shaquille Leonard.

“The market is what the market is,” Ballard added. “But saying that, like I’ve always told you, you pay good players. You pay guys that are going to help you win, regardless of the position. We think very highly of Jonathan. … We think that’ll play out over time and work out the way it should either way.”

Taylor indicated to Sports Illustrated last month that while he’s open to contract discussions, the ball is in the Colts’ court, and he’s willing to state his case.

"We definitely have approached (contract talks)," Taylor stated. "Hopefully (the Colts) can see the value. Hopefully we can explain the value, and not that it needs explanation, but we just want to be here, like I said, to help the team. To help the community and uplift the community. We'll see where things go but it's kind of on them right now.”