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Pump the Brakes on the Jonathan Taylor Trade Talk

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Jonathan Taylor; Wisconsin Football
Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not every day that a star player gets moved in the NFL. Former Wisconsin football star Jonathan Taylor is one of the best running backs in all of the NFL. He has been one of the Indianapolis Colts’ top weapons and now he wants out.

The former Wisconsin Badgers star requested a trade from the Colts at the start of training camp. He hasn’t been holding out, but he also hasn’t been partaking in the teams’ practices while he deals with some injuries. It didn’t seem like the team was going to trade Taylor, but there seems to be a change in tune.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday night that the Colts are allowing Taylor and his camp to seek a trade.

Trading former Wisconsin football tailback Jonathan Taylor could be easier said than done.

Now, just because Taylor requested a trade and the Colts are giving him permission to seek a trade doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Schefter says while the Colts are willing to trade Taylor, they want premium compensation. According to Schefter, the Colts want either a first-round pick or compensation equivalent to that.

We all know how the NFL views running backs right now. Backs like Taylor are extremely valuable. They are likely in the prime of their careers while on their rookie deals. By the time they get their second, more expensive contracts, their production drops because they are banged up, older, injured…etc.

Part of the issue between Taylor and the Colts is their unwillingness to sign him to an extension. He is currently in the final year of his rookie deal. As one of the best running backs in the league, you can bet Taylor is going to be looking for a big payday after this season. So with that in mind, is a team going to be willing to part with premium draft compensation for one year of JT on a rookie deal, and then break open the piggy bank for him on a second deal? It’s kind of hard to see.

As Wisconsin football fans, we all want to see a former Badger succeed in the league and get a big payday. But in today’s landscape, I think we are more likely to see him hit free agency next offseason and sign a deal that is very incentive-heavy.

It didn’t seem likely that the Colts would blink and agree to trade Taylor. But now that they have, it’s another step closer to JT getting out of Indy and getting what he wants. There is still a long way to go in this saga and I don’t expect it to be resolved soon.


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Christian Borman was born and raised in Wisconsin and covers the Badgers football and basketball programs, plus some recruiting for BadgersNotes.com. He previously covered the Wisconsin Badgers for years as the site expert for Badger of Honor of the Fansided Network.

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