Jim Irsay's former QB rings warning bell on Jonathan Taylor comments - "Most damning thing"
Jonathan Taylor appears to be the most recent victim of the declining running back market during the 2023 NFL offseason. Many NFL owners seem to be fully committed to a growing trend of refusing to pay running backs large contracts with a ton of guaranteed money.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been one of the most vocal about the idea of not rewarding running backs with new contracts. His stance on the topic recently resulted in his superstar running back officially requesting to be traded. Irsay responded by saying there's no chance that happens.
With Irsay taking the stance that Taylor likely won't get a massive contract and also won't be traded, Taylor is in a difficult and seemingly impossible situation. Former Colts quarterback and current NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky recently gave his take on the compliacte situation during an episode of First Take:
"I love Mr. Irsay, I played for the Colts. After hearing his comments, I think it's the most damning thing that's happened to running backs since I've been alive. Jonathan Taylor was second in Offensive Player of the Year voting two years ago. He was sixth in the MVP voting. He averages 5 yards per carry.
"When we're kids and we say we want to go play in the NFL, you get taught from a very early age, if you go do the work and put in the time, you will reap the benefits of that. You will get the reward. And for Jonathan Taylor, here is Mr. Irsay's comments, and it's the complete opposite, 'We don't care what you do. You're not going to get what you think you earned and/or deserve or reap the benefits of it.' And that's a huge issue for that individual player."
Orlovsky continued:
"If we all are in our profession and we outperform what we're earning, we have every opportunity to go and say, 'I deserve this. Here's the data.' And Jonathan Taylor is hearing, 'No, you don't. You have absolutely no shot.' And that's a concerning issue.
"And here's the bigger takeaway from this all, the running back market is not going to change unless the NFL rules do."
Taylor joined a long list of frustrated running backs ahead of the 2023 NFL season, such as Austin Ekeler, Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley. They are victims of the owners neglecting to pay the position top-dollar any longer. Their extremely short peak careers are likely one of the main reasons.
Orlovsky pointed out that he doesn't see this issue getting better any time soon, with many around the NFL expecting it to continue to get worse each year. This is terrible news for a star like Taylor, especially considering his current contract situation.
Jonathan Taylor's contract keeps him trapped with Colts
It doesn't sound like Jim Irsay has any interest in giving Jonathan Taylor a massive contract extension. He also said there's zero chance that he will trade him. This means Taylor is pretty much stuck with the Colts this year for his mediocre $4.3 million contract.
Taylor will potentially become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 NFL season. His chances of getting paid what he "should" be worth are currently looking slim there as well. Dalvin Cook has been one of the best running backs in the NFL over the past four years, and even he can't get a deal in free agency.
This creates a major problem for Jonathan Taylor, as outlined by Dan Orlovsky. Even if he performs at the highest level this year, it seems unlikely that the Colts, or any other team right now, would be willing to offer him a massive contract, simply due to the fact that he's a running back.