Colts’ top leadership and RB Jonathan Taylor issue public statements on new contract

The Indianapolis Colts’ top leadership brass, including team owner Jim Irsay, general manager Chris Ballard, and head coach Shane Steichen, as well as running back Jonathan Taylor issued public statements on his newly agreed upon multi-year contract extension (via 1075 The Fan’s Kevin Bowen):

Despite rampant speculation that the Colts’ relationship with its previously disgruntled former All-Pro running back was beyond repair, both sides were able to compromise and find some middle ground on a newly reported 3-year, $42M deal with $26.5M guaranteed.

While things between the two sides got unnecessarily public and personal earlier this past offseason (*instead of keeping negotiations behind closed doors)—and there likely were some lingering hard feelings with Taylor and ownership/the front office, the contentious feud always boiled down to the money of it all. This was all about the business side of it.

Having seen that Taylor’s surgically repaired ankle is fully healed in team practices earlier his week, the Colts didn’t need to see anymore and rewarded their star running back with a competitive, current top-of-the-market elite running back deal.

There’s an argument to be made that maybe the Colts could’ve just made this offer earlier this offseason—and avoided all this unnecessary public drama, but in the end, it doesn’t matter because Taylor remains in Indianapolis for at least a few more seasons regardless.