Jonathan Taylor Could Help Define NFL according to ESPN

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was on ESPN's short list of players who could help define the NFL the next 12 months.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor picked a bad time to battle injuries the first time in his career. 

Not that there's ever a good time to be injured, but as the Colts' engine faltered, so did the Colts in 2022.

However, it's more than just the impact his struggles had on his team. Taylor is playing in the final year of his contract coming off his worst season as a pro.

To exacerbate the problem for Taylor, the running back market has gone sour in the NFL. 

Dan Graziano of ESPN+ recently named Taylor one of the most intriguing players in the NFL who could help in define the next 12 months. 

Taylor's contract could help define the running back market for the next several years. If Taylor has a big year and doesn't get a big deal, who can?

"Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard are all on franchise tags," Grazion points out on ESPN+. "Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt and Leonard Fournette are all free agents. J.K. Dobbins is somehow upset about his contract even though he has played a total of eight games over the past two seasons. (Seriously? Read the room, dude.)"

"Taylor is still just 24 and scheduled to earn $4.304 million in this final year of his contract. Based on his 2022 season, when he led the league in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns, he's worth more than that. But how much more?"

Graziano pointed out it's been several years since a running back got a big, long-term second contract.

"Four of the top five highest-paid running backs by average annual salary signed their deals in 2020, and the other (Nick Chubb) signed his in 2021," wrote Graziano. "If you're Taylor, signing now at what you probably believe is a below-market number coming off your worst season doesn't sound great. But if you play it out and look more like your 2021 self, your best-case scenario is probably a franchise tag."

Barkley and Jacobs haven't signed their franchise tags yet with the Giants and Raiders respectively. They're looking for more guaranteed money than a one-year deal would offer them.

Graziano thinks Taylor can be the tide that rises all ships for running backs.

"It looks very unlikely that there will be a mid-July flurry of Barkley/Jacobs/Pollard deals that reset the running back market," wrote Graziano. "Maybe Taylor can be the guy who does it next year. But man, a lot of stuff would have to change around the league between now and then."

For Taylor's part, he knows he can't control what the other players and teams are doing and is quietly taking care of business.

"We definitely have approached (contract talks)," Taylor revealed earlier this month. "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. But we'll continue to work each and every single day."

The Colts have historically done an excellent job of retaining their own players, and a franchise tag wouldn't be appealing to Taylor.