NFL Rumors: New twist in Jonathan Taylor-Colts drama is diabolical

The game of chicken between Jonathan Taylor and the Colts just got a lot more dangerous because of a back injury the RB picked up away from the facility.

The situation between the Colts and star running back Jonathan Taylor is only getting more hostile.

We’ve already heard Colts owner Jim Irsay say some pretty maniacal things about the running back, his place in Indianapolis and the place of running backs in the league. But what the team could have up their sleeve next is the most diabolical option.

According to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports, the Colts are “considering placing Jonathan Taylor on non-football injury list (NFI).”

Apparently, the running back suffered a back injury while working out on his own. Ankle surgery in January put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

This is all significant because of the difference between being on the PUP and NFI lists. Players on PUP get paid. Players on NFI aren’t.

This feels like the nuclear option. If the team didn’t feel the need to put Taylor on NFI before, doing so now would look like a direct response to Taylor’s reported trade request.

It also shows how little leverage a player like Taylor has. He can request a trade and hold out until the Colts fulfill his wishes, but they could withhold salary with him on the NFI list. There’d be no coming back from that for the team and their star running back.

The Colts not wanting to dish out a chunk of money for Taylor makes sense. The position has never been more devalued and he himself is coming off an injury-hit down season. However, there’s a sizable leap from “having concerns about investing in a running back long term” and “choosing not to pay the running back the money he’s owed in his contract.”

It’s a pretty big threat Indianapolis is playing with, one that won’t just erode faith between Taylor and management, but the entire roster and management.