4 Reasons Why Taylor Staying Could Negatively Impact Colts

After the Indianapolis Colts couldn’t find a trade deal they liked for Jonathan Taylor, there is now a chance it could negatively impact the team in more ways than one.

After an arduous period of fielding trade offers, the Indianapolis Colts ended up passing on them all and keeping disgruntled running back Jonathan Taylor.

No deal: Indianapolis did not find what it felt was a fair-value offer for Jonathan Taylor and it is not trading its All-Pro running back today, league sources tell ESPN.

With no trade materializing today, Taylor now is expected to remain on the Physically Unable to Perform… pic.twitter.com/TvBXpIJCoc

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 29, 2023

With so much drama coming from this wish to be traded of Taylor and his agent, Malki Kawa, there is a good chance that the relationship between Taylor and the Colts is beyond repair. What sort of consequences will failing to reach a trade bring upon Indianapolis? 

It’s time to answer those questions with four different reasons why Taylor not getting what he wants from the Colts may bring negativity to the squad as they approach the start of the 2023 regular season.

1. Taylor Remains on Physically Unable to Play List

© Mykal McEldowney / USA TODAY NETWORK

Once the 4 p.m. deadline struck for the Colts on August 29th, Taylor remained on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform List). This means that he will miss at least the first four regular season games.

With no trade materializing, the #Colts are placing RB Jonathan Taylor on the Reserve/PUP list, meaning he’ll be sidelined for at least the first four games, per sources.

Taylor’s trade request stands. And now he’ll play no sooner than Week 5. pic.twitter.com/xA4Hbd1Yr3

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 29, 2023

This is a bit of a backbreaker for rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. Many believed that Taylor’s presence would greatly assist with Richardson’s development out of the gate. Now, this will have to wait until Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans at the earliest. Taylor may not be healthy even then.

The first four contests won’t be simple for Richardson either, as it consists of two AFC South divisional matchups right away. Below are the first four weeks for the Colts.

• Week 1: Home vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 2: Away vs. Houston Texans
• Week 3: Away vs. Baltimore Ravens
• Week 4: Home vs. Los Angeles Rams

Even in Week 5, it’s a third divisional matchup in just five total games. Richardson will now be entrusted to shoulder more of the team’s offensive responsibilities while Taylor recuperates his injured ankle that kept him on the PUP list all offseason.

How will head coach Shane Steichen and Richardson respond to this adversity? It’s going to be something to watch for minus the bell-cow playmaker out of the backfield for Richardson to lean on when times get tough. 

2. The Trade Drama Will Likely Continue

Mykal McEldowney-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Colts threw out their timeline for a trade of August 29th, the true NFL trade deadline isn’t until October 31st. This would put the Colts around Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints (October 29th).

Seeing as how Taylor didn’t get his wish to be traded now, there’s not much reason to think he still won’t want to be after. The Colts did say they wouldn’t entertain trading him at all, but this could change given the sour relationship between the running back and owner Jim Irsay/general manager Chris Ballard.

The drama surrounding this request isn’t good for any NFL locker room of any experience level. Now factor in that most of the roster is comprised of either new additions or rookies and it’s even worse of a problem to have looming over Lucas Oil Stadium.

3. There’s a Chance He’s Officially Traded by the 10/31 Deadline

© Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Branching off of the second reason, there’s also the chance that Richardson and the offense could be without Taylor entirely by October 31st.

If the situation doesn’t improve by then, it’s not out of the question that Indianapolis breaks their original plan of holding onto Taylor by trading him off. Just because it didn’t happen now doesn’t mean it can’t happen later.

Indianapolis must value its investment in Richardson and the other players by doing the best it can to create a strong atmosphere around him and Steichen. While Taylor is a massive playmaker, he’s also in a position that has been proven to be able to be replaced, even if it may take a year or two to fill that void.

If Taylor and his agent aren’t happier with the Colts throughout the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, look for Ballard to make the wish come true for Taylor. They will likely still want adequate compensation but may find it if a team needs a running back of Taylor’s caliber more than the teams that inquired in late August. 

4. Holdout

Mykal McEldowney-USA TODAY Sports

In my opinion, this is the worst possible outcome. It’s historically proven that holdouts, especially for running backs, don’t pan out well for anyone involved. The shining example is Le’Veon Bell, who held out in 2018 from the Pittsburgh Steelers due to contract issues.

He would fall off of a cliff when returning, this time with the New York Jets in 2019. Before 2018, Bell was a two-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl back in only five seasons, dominating the league. As a Jet, he was a shell of himself and was gone from the league by 2022. He would play for a whopping four squads (Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) from 2019-2021.

Don’t put this past Taylor, as other players have gone this route; it just hasn’t panned out for running backs. Bell also wasn’t coming off of a bad ankle injury, but rather a blistering 2017 campaign where he had over 1,000 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns.

Taylor doesn’t have the leverage long-term to do this, as it would plummet his NFL stock farther than his position already has. But, given the craziness that has ensued since the training camp, it’s not out of the question that Taylor and his representation wouldn’t burrow in and make a stand with the contract disagreements they’re experiencing. 

Outlook

It may seem like forever ago, but Taylor was a devastating weapon for the Colts. There’s a chance that if he rehabs his ankle properly he still is and can be for a young team and a rookie QB like Richardson. 

What will happen now that Taylor didn’t get his wish to leave Indianapolis? What is in store for the Colts franchise as a whole if their superstar runner is gone? Regardless of what’s to come, the events that have unfolded between the Colts and Taylor don’t encourage positive thinking that this relationship will improve. 

For the sake of the Colts’ franchise now and ahead, the hope is that there is still room to patch up what’s essentially been a torched bridge gapping the two parties.

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