Jonathan Taylor wants to be a Colt for life. He said it himself. But the Colts front office seems to be in no rush to make that happen. And that disconnect is starting to look like a problem they don’t need to have twice.
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Taylor has made it clear to Indianapolis that he wants to negotiate a new deal before the regular season starts. The running back turns 27 this year, and he’s heading into a contract year. That’s usually when alarms go off. But from the sound of things, the Colts are hitting snooze.
Holder reports that the front office has shown little initiative on extensions this offseason. That lack of urgency is turning Taylor’s situation into one of those stories you keep an eye on as training camp gets closer. It’s not a crisis yet. But it could become one fast.
Taylor already went through this in 2023. That ended in a two-month standoff. Communication broke down, and the whole thing got messy. Now they’re basically replaying the same tape. Avoiding another standoff seems like common sense. But the Colts are making it look complicated.
Why the hesitation could backfire
When a star player’s contract hangs in the air, the whole team feels it. Taylor knows that. He’s actually been trying to help his younger teammates deal with the distraction. Wide receiver Josh Downs is in the final year of his rookie deal. He’s also the brother of Caleb Downs, who just got drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round. The Colts host Dallas in 2026. So there’s already some weird symmetry here.
Downs told NBC that he went to Taylor for advice on handling contract pressure. Taylor’s response was pretty straightforward. He told Downs not to chase money or overthink the business side of things. Play free. Focus on the work. Have fun. Don’t lose yourself in the noise.
That’s good advice. But it’s also the kind of advice a veteran gives when the front office isn’t making things easy. Taylor is essentially playing team psychologist while waiting for his own payday. That’s not a great look for the Colts.
At some point, Indianapolis has to decide if they want their best offensive weapon locked in or if they want to let this thing drag out again. Every day they wait adds a little more noise. And in a league where running backs already get undervalued, letting a guy like Taylor sit in limbo is a gamble that could cost them more than just cap space.
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