Colts' Irsay: Tweet not aimed at Taylor
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said Thursday that his recent comments about the state of the running back market weren't aimed at Jonathan Taylor.
Irsay also revealed Indy has yet to make an official contract offer to Taylor, who's entering the last year of his rookie contract.
"The comment wasn't really directed at Jonathan," Irsay told ESPN's Stephen Holder. "We haven't exchanged any contract numbers with each other or anything like that. So, it's not like we're in the midst of that. ... This is a year about coming back together and having a great year, and we're really depending on Jonathan to team up with (quarterback) Anthony Richardson to try and pull together to have a great year."
On Wednesday, Irsay took a shot at agents selling "bad faith," adding that the current collective bargaining agreement shouldn't be changed to help the position. Taylor's agent, Malki Kawa, responded by stating, "Bad faith is not playing your top offensive player."
Irsay's remarks were an apparent response to suggestions from around the league that the CBA should be altered amid a cold year for running backs. Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers was among multiple tailbacks who discussed the possibility of changing how the league calculates the salaries of franchise-tagged players to help elite running backs earn more money, according to Holder.
All three tagged running back this year - Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard - didn't sign multi-year contracts in the offseason. The tender for tailbacks is currently worth $10.09 million. The number is based on the average of the top five salaries at the position over the past five years and adjusted for the salary-cap figure in a given season.
"We love Jonathan, we need Jonathan," Irsay said Thursday. "Our hope is Jonathan has an outstanding year and that we have a good year as a team and then we get his next contract done. That's the hope. We think the world of him as a person, as a player. It's just timing. When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid."
Taylor has been Indianapolis' leading back since being drafted in the second round in 2020. The Wisconsin product, who appeared in only 11 games last year due to injuries, earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2021 after leading the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,171) and total touchdowns (20).
The Colts drafted Richardson fourth overall in April after posting a 4-12-1 record last season.
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