Sports
Jonathan Taylor's Uncertain Future with Colts After Emotional Farewell
Star running back Jonathan Taylor, the Colts' franchise leader in rushing touchdowns, expressed gratitude to Indianapolis after a Week 9 loss, acknowledging uncertainty about his future amid trade deadline speculation. The Colts, mired in a 2-7 season and a rebuild that saw the GM fired and two captains traded, may deal Taylor despite his recent contract extension.
INDIANAPOLIS â Jonathan Taylor, the Colts' star running back and franchise leader in rushing touchdowns, left Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday unsure whether he had played his final game in a Colts uniform. The 27-year-old has been at the center of weeks of trade rumors, and with the NFL trade deadline approaching, his future in Indianapolis remains uncertain.
"I don't know. I'm not sure. I know as much as you," Taylor told reporters after the Colts' 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9. "I think you play every game like it's your last."
Taylor finished the game with 13 carries for 46 yards, part of one of the least productive two-game stretches of his six-plus-year career. Over Weeks 8 and 9 combined, he managed just 69 rushing yards on 21 attempts.
The Colts' season has unraveled to a 2-7 start, with 14 losses in their last 16 games. Last month, principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon initiated a rebuild by firing longtime general manager Chris Ballard. Eight days later, the team traded two pillars and longtime captains, Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner.
That leaves Taylor as the most valuable trade asset on a roster that will be seeking draft capital in the coming months. Despite signing a two-year extension through 2028 in August, Taylor may have played his last game for the Colts.
"At the end of the day, this has been a spot where I grew up," Taylor said. "You go to college, and you're a young man, but you really grew up and started a family, and you really embrace this city and the people, and you're like, 'This city helped shape me to who I am today.'
"I'm very grateful, so if it is (my last game as a Colt), I'm very grateful for the city of Indianapolis. I just hope (the fans) appreciate and know that I appreciate them, and it was a pleasure to put on display not only my hard work, but the team's hard work each and every single week and each and every single year."
The comments came after a game in which the Colts again fell short, and with the trade deadline looming, Taylor's heartfelt words served as a possible goodbye to the city that has been his NFL home since he was drafted in 2020. For a franchise in transition, the decision on Taylor's future could define the next chapter of the rebuild.