Colts’ Jonathan Taylor On The Resurgence In Value Of Running Backs: ‘It’s A Vital Position’
Indianapolis Colts star Jonathan Taylor may have started the resurgence in the value of running backs.
In recent years — especially over the past decade — the running back position has been devalued and viewed as a replaceable part on a team's roster. Among the major skill positions on both offense and defense, running backs were the least-paid during the 2023 season at a shade under $1.8 million.
However, Taylor's own contract standoff at the beginning of the 2023 season — he had requested a trade following a meeting with team owner Jim Irsay — eventually led to a lucrative three-year, $42 million contract extension that made the former Offensive Player of the Year among the highest-paid players at his position.
"Definitely, you always want to continue to push the value," says Taylor in a one-on-one interview when asked if he feels his new contract solidifies his value as a running back. "I just wanted to do my small part. You look at guys like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, who have hit that false narrative age that running backs tend not to be as a productive. But clearly we see guys like Henry and Saquon Barkley going off full steam ahead."
The 2023 offseason was a rough one for running backs as Miles Sanders landed the most lucrative deal of players at his position at just $6.4 million annually with the Carolina Panthers. It was also an offseason where star running backs such as Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard were given franchise tags rather than multi-year deals they were seeking.
Taylor's contract signing in the middle of the 2023 season seems to have swung the momentum slightly in the favor of running backs.
Barkley was finally rewarded with a lucrative deal that will see him paid a shade under $38 million ($12.6 million annually) across three years with the Philadelphia Eagles. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Henry signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens and has shown he hasn't lost a step, leading the NFL with nine total touchdowns and 704 rushing yards through the first six games of the season.
While Taylor missed the first four games of last season and training camp due to an ankle injury — he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform List while also having his contract standoff — he still managed to post a solid season, averaging 4.4 yards per carry with 741 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in just 10 games played and seven games started.
"Last year, not being able to be on schedule — our athletes are so regimented that when you put so much time and effort into the rehab, and then the time comes when it's, 'OK, I should be healthy,' and your body is not ready, then you get thrown out of a whack a bit and you have to find a way," says Taylor of last year's experience. "It's tough. You have to find a way — how do I continue to push through that rehab each and every single day?
"But being able to work with the team throughout that whole process and ultimately get something done, I think it's beneficial for myself, it's beneficial for the team, but it was also beneficial for the rest of the running backs to be able to continue to push that value," Taylor continues. "We know that it's a vital position."
Taylor is off to an even better start to the 2024 season with the contract standoff in the rearview mirror. The 25-year-old running back posted 349 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry — his highest since the 2021 season — and 87.3 rushing yards per game through his first four contests this season, the second-highest average of his career.
However, he's dealt with an ankle sprain since the team's Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and hasn't played over the past two games. While Taylor has dealt with his share of ankle injuries, he makes sure to stress that this one is not serious.
"The rehab is thankfully not as rigorous as my previous injury in previous years," Taylor explains. "Thankful for that, but it's definitely a process — especially with a high ankle. Anytime that you can run into a high ankle (sprain), you definitely want to attack it head on, because if you don't have the proper treatment, you can return back onto the field and not be fully ready. One slightest thing and you're back to square one."
Although Taylor wouldn't commit fully to playing in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins — he ended up not practicing on Wednesday — he says that he's been attacking rehab "every single day" and is determined to make his return in a big home matchup that will also very likely see the return of quarterback Anthony Richardson, who has also missed the past two games due to an oblique injury .
"The work from the Colts training staff and being able to attack rehab each and every single day, so when I'm back, I'm 100% healthy and ready to go to get a huge win," says Taylor. "I'm doing everything in my power to get on the field to make plays with my team and help get this win."
While Taylor still has to go through tests and see how he moves around in practice before returning to game action, he's having a little bit of fun in the meantime with fans. The fifth-year running back participated in his first partnership with Dairy Queen in Indianapolis which saw him and Richardson sauce and toss parmesan garlic and honey BBQ chicken strips for fans on Tuesday.
"It was amazing," says Taylor of interacting with the fans. "Any time I get a chance to connect with the fans, connect with the community in a place I call home — I call Indy my third home — it's always a good thing."
Taylor says he grew up going to Dairy Queen and getting their well known blizzards. However, he says that his new favorite item are the sauce and toss honey BBQ chicken strips.
"It was also a time for us to connect off of the field as well," says Taylor. "Being able to come here and promote DQ new sauce and toss chicken baskets, it was really nice. I don't know which one was my favorite, because I sauced both flavors. Anthony tossed them, I sauced them. But the honey BBQ was definitely a fan favorite and I think I have to go with the honey BBQ as a classic."
