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, including $39 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $47 million — the third-largest running back deal in NFL history, negotiated by agent Malki Kawa of First Round Management.
- Taylor's extension came two days after Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson signed a record-breaking deal, continuing a wave of big running back contracts that also includes Jahmyr Gibbs, who is holding in at Detroit Lions training camp while seeking a new deal.
- Taylor led the NFL last season with 323 rushing attempts, 18 rushing touchdowns, and 1,585 rushing yards, while also posting career highs of 46 receptions for 378 receiving yards — production that followed durability concerns in 2022-2023.
- Taylor, 27, surpassed 300 carries in each of the past two seasons, trailing only Baltimore's Derrick Henry in total rushes over that stretch, and was entering the final year of the extension he signed after a 2023 standoff with the Colts.
- Taylor pointed to the Arizona Cardinals drafting Jeremiyah Love third overall as evidence of a shifting perception of the running back position — Love was the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall in 2018.
Why it matters: Taylor's deal, alongside Robinson's record contract and Gibbs's pending extension, marks a tangible reset of the running back market after years of losing ground at the negotiating table. Taylor's $39 million in guaranteed money on a team-friendly two-year structure — coming off back-to-back 300+ carry seasons — gives Indianapolis cost certainty while rewarding one of the league's most productive backs.
