Colts GM gives empty hope to fans in latest Jonathan Taylor comments

The Indianapolis Colts are in the midst of some drama with running back Jonathan Taylor. At the start of training camp, Taylor requested a trade from the team, as contract extension negotiations were going nowhere. The Colts, after initially declining his request, gave Taylor until Tuesday to seek a trade partner and for a deal to be agreed upon. The deadline passed, and Taylor is still on the team. That and Taylor was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, meaning he will be sidelined for the first four games of the season.

On Wednesday, Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke to reporters and discussed the situation with Taylor. Ballard said that the situation "sucks" for everyone, and he's confident that the relationship could be repaired.

Colts: GM Chris Ballard hopes relationship with Jonathan Taylor could be repaired

Back in July, Taylor requested a trade after not receiving a contract offer from the team. Colts owner Jim Irsay publicly declared that they would not trade him. With running backs seeking to get paid what they feel they deserve, Irsay claimed that agents are negotiating in "bad faith." Not to mention his eye-opening declaration of, "If I die tonight and Jonathan Taylor is out of the league, no one’s gonna miss us."

The running back market took a huge drop, as teams aren't paying top dollar for them, even if they are one of the top players on the team overall. Both Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extensions with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively, and were set to play in the franchise tag. However, both agreed to restructured contracts for the 2023 season.

Ballard did speak on how the team valued Taylor and he didn't want the narrative to be that they don't want the running back. When he was asked why the Colts haven't paid Taylor, Ballard said, "We won four games last year."

Following the deadline, reports indicated that the Colts were in trade talks with the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers. Taylor is eligible to return for Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans.

We'll see if the relationship can be repaired, or if the Colts will have to listen to trade offers before Taylor hits free agency.