Colts star Taylor latest RB to land big extension
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- Jonathan Taylor agreed to a two-year, $44 million extension with the Indianapolis Colts, with a max value of $47 million and $39 million guaranteed — the third-largest deal for a running back in NFL history.
- Agent Malki Kawa of First Round Management finalized the deal, which keeps Taylor under contract through the 2028 season and comes two days after Bijan Robinson's record-breaking extension with the Falcons.
- Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs is also seeking a new deal and has been holding in at Lions training camp, making him the next domino in an active RB market.
- Taylor's 2024 production led the NFL with 323 rushing attempts, 18 rushing touchdowns, and 1,585 rushing yards, plus career highs of 46 receptions for 378 receiving yards.
- Taylor's contract history includes a previous protracted standoff with the Colts; this deal follows back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in 2022-23 and two years of durability and 300-plus carry workloads.
- The RB market's revival is exemplified by the Cardinals drafting Jeremiyah Love third overall — the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 in 2018 — a shift Taylor called notable.
- Taylor ranks second in Colts franchise rushing history at 7,598 career yards, trailing only Hall of Famer Edgerrin James (9,226).
Why it matters: Taylor's $44 million, $39M-guaranteed pact lands as the third-largest RB deal ever, coming just two days after Robinson reset the market — concrete evidence that running backs are regaining leverage after years of devaluation. With Gibbs holding in Detroit and rookie Jeremiyah Love going third overall, the position's contract and draft trajectory are moving in tandem, directly affecting how teams value workhorse backs going forward.
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