Will Jonathan Taylor play this season? Colts RB’s outlook for 2023

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will start the 2023 season on the PUP list, which means he will miss at least the first four games.

Taylor's presence on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list changes some things but doesn't change others.

What changes? The obvious is that Taylor will be out for the start of the Colts' season -- assuming he stays in Indy. The chances of him being traded also go down as teams may be less inclined to deal for a player who will miss four games of the season for certain.

Heading into Tuesday's roster cuts, the Colts set a soft deadline for Taylor's trade that ended up being more of a bluff than a smartly played hand.

For now, Taylor will remain on the Colts for the 2023 season and will more than likely suit up for the team at some point this season, which happens to be the final year of his rookie deal. Taylor would have to play to qualify for free agent status next offseason; he's set to make $4.3 million in 2023.

What doesn't change? RB-needy teams that were interested in Taylor will still be interested, just not necessarily for the start of the season.

Jonathan Taylor rumors: RB will play for the Colts, for now

NFL's Ian Rapoport mentioned one of the teams in the Taylor sweepstakes, the Miami Dolphins, would be "moving forward" with their current running back room this season. The Dolphins and any other interested teams would have until the NFL trade deadline (October 31) to strike a deal for Taylor.

Digging deeper into the PUP list implications, Taylor's health status should be ringing an alarm for the Colts and his future potential suitors. The 24-year-old missed six games in 2022 due to an ankle injury and successfully underwent surgery back in January.

This far into the year, Taylor doesn't appear to have fully recovered and has not participated in any on-field activities since December. There's no telling whether he will be healthy after the first four games of the season.

A committee of Zack Moss, Deon Jackson, and rookie Evan Hull will take running back snaps for the Colts in the meantime.

If Taylor is ready to go and activated after Week 4, it's worth noting that Taylor would face serious financial consequences if he decides to hold out for a trade instead. According to The Athletic, Taylor would forfeit 1/18th ($238,888) of his $4.3 million salary for every week he misses during the regular season.

Chiefs' Chris Jones might be able to afford a holdout; Taylor, who plays one of the most undervalued positions in football, likely can't.

Also, per the CBA, Taylor would need to play at least six games in 2023 to earn an accrued season and be eligible for free agency next year.

Past 2023, however, Indy may not be so keen on letting Taylor waltz into the open market. The Colts could still franchise-tag Taylor and keep him in Indy on a year-to-year basis, perhaps waiting for a suitable trade, since they hold almost all of the leverage in Taylor's situation.