Colts signing veteran RB Kenyan Drake
Kenyan Drake has a new home. The veteran running back signed a deal with the Indianapolis Colts Friday, per his agents at SportsTrust Advisors.
Drake, 29, spent the 2022 season with the Baltimore Ravens. He appeared in 12 games (five starts), rushing for 482 yards on 4.4 yards per carry and four touchdowns. Drake added 17 receptions for 89 yards and a score. The former Alabama star previously spent time with the Miami Dolphins (2016-2019), Arizona Cardinals (2019-2020) and Las Vegas Raiders (2021). His career season came in 2020, when he rushed for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The signing of Drake comes amid the growing uncertainty surrounding star running back Jonathan Taylor, who requested a trade from Indianapolis earlier this week following a meeting with team owner Jim Irsay. Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher in 2021, is entering the final season of his rookie deal. He is looking for a deal which puts him in line with the league’s highest-paid running backs. The Colts, however, have yet to offer him a new contract.
Colts add veteran RB amid Jonathan Taylor uncertainty
Irsay maintains he has no desire to trade Taylor, not now, nor in October at the trade deadline.
“We’re not trading Jonathan … end of discussion,” Irsay said. “Not now and not in October!”
Irsay further expounded Thursday on the situation involving Taylor, and was a bit more blunt this time.
“I mean, if I die tonight and Jonathan Taylor’s out of the league, no one’s going to miss us,” Irsay told reporters. “The league goes on. We know that. The National Football [League] rolls on. It doesn’t matter who comes and who goes, and it’s a privilege to be part of it. Now’s the time for us to do our work. Now’s the time as an organization. And, you know, players who are 24, 25 years old, now’s the time to seize the moment.”
Taylor battled injury during the 2022 season, appearing in 11 games for the Colts. He finished the year with 861 rushing yards and four touchdowns. In 2021, Taylor’s second year in the league, the former Wisconsin star produced at an incredibly high level. He rushed for 1,811 yards and scored 18 touchdowns on the ground. The 24-year-old added 40 receptions for 360 receiving yards and two scores.