Colts Jim Irsay’s Twitter comments raise temperature on Jonathan Taylor contract talks

Indianapolis Colts team owner Jim Irsay took to Twitter on Wednesday to make his thoughts known regarding the deflated elite running back market—and how any attempted renegotiation of the CBA to increase the position’s salary scale would be in “bad faith”:

It’s not a coincidence either that one of his franchise’s top players, running back Jonathan Taylor, is entering a contract year and may be ‘holding in,’ by reporting but remaining on the Active/PUP List to begin training camp—allegedly to allow his surgically repaired ankle extra time to heal and recover.

It could very well be a contract leverage play by Taylor to let his further displeasure known.

For what it’s worth, Irsay’s comments already struck a nerve with Taylor’s representation on Twitter:

So much for amicable contract negotiations, right?

Irsay’s comments may not necessarily be wrong, but what purpose are they actually serving here, especially when trying to smooth over an already bitter situation with one of his franchise’s best players?

The Colts need to re-sign Jonathan Taylor for the foreseeable future, particularly when the team has a rookie quarterback behind center. He should only aid Richardson’s growth and development going forward into the future.

Fortunately for the Colts, general manager Chris Ballard will likely lead the ongoing contract negotiations—not Irsay, who at this point may be better off keeping fairly quiet until the check ultimately gets cut to Taylor, even if it doesn’t end up being at #28’s ideal price point.

Update (3:21 PM EST): Jonathan Taylor’s representation has since addressed the issue again: