Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s recent comments on running backs make it appear as though he’ll be on a collision course with star running back Jonathan Taylor when his rookie contract expires after this season.
Despite making it clear that his comments admonishing running backs for “bad faith” negotiations with the rest of the league were not aimed at Taylor, Irsay is still going to have to sign Taylor to a new contract. Whether Taylor wants to work for a boss who feels that way, only time will tell.
In the event that two sides are headed for a divorce though, there are some teams out there that would probably be more than happy to give Taylor what he’s worth – or at least more than what the Colts might give him.
Here are three teams that could consider making an offer for Taylor sometime this year:
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills offense likes to run to set up the pass, but the 2022 season saw it lag behind the passing game – particularly in the postseason.
To make things easier on star quarterback Josh Allen from time to time, adding an elite running back like Jonathan Taylor would go a long way towards making them the most complete offense in the NFL by a wide margin.
Kansas City Chiefs
If there’s an elite player on offense out there, the Chiefs can find a way to fit him into the 53-man roster and under the salary cap.
As with the Bills, the Chiefs could probably do with an elite running back to take some of the burden off of Patrick Mahomes (not that he seems to need it). And in an AFC West where teams are more vulnerable against the run, it could be a winning formula.
Miami Dolphins
Simply put, the AFC East is an arms race right now and while the Dolphins aren’t exactly lagging behind, the Dolphins have some tough defenses to go up against in their division and ranked in the bottom half of the league running the ball last year.
Adding in Jonathan Taylor would instantly give the Dolphins the best running back in the division, along with the best backfield if they pair him with Raheem Mostert and/or Jeff Wilson.
Do you think an NFL team will trade for Jonathan Taylor?