Jonathan Taylor refutes reports of back injury: 'Find new sources'
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor set the record straight Sunday after reports emerged that he suffered a back injury while working out in Arizona. Taylor took to Twitter to address the rumors, denying them while also coming hard after the people who reported the news.
“Never had back pain,” Taylor wrote. “Never reported back pain. Not sure who ‘sources’ are, but find new ones.”
Back injury or not, Taylor has not participated as the Colts kicked off training camp on Wednesday. He is currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he recovers from ankle surgery he had in January.
Taylor and the Colts are currently in the midst of a contract dispute. The running back requested a trade from the team on Saturday as negotiations for an extension appear to have stalled. Taylor is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract and will make a base salary of $4.3 million with a cap hit of $5.1 million.
Multiple outlets reported earlier Sunday that the Colts were considered putting Jonathan Taylor on the non-football injury list because of the back injury. That would enable Indianapolis to withhold his salary for the upcoming season.
According to Spotrac, if he does decide to hold out in fall camp, the former Wisconsin superstar will be fined $40,000 per day missed by the Colts franchise. He also risks losing an accrued season for 2023, which would render him a restricted free agent next March, instead of an unrestricted player.
Taylor was one of the best running backs in the 2020 NFL Draft, ultimately being selected by Indianapolis in the second round with the No. 41 overall pick. He quickly became one of the top backs in the league despite the Colts not having a ton of success during his time.
When looking at the resume, the awards really stacked up during the 2021 season. Taylor was named a first-team All-Pro, a huge honor when there is only one running back available for selection. It was justified as well after Taylor led the league in rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18).
For his career thus far, he’s carried the rock 756 times for 3,841 rushing yards, while racking up 33 total touchdowns. As a receiver, he’s hauled in 104 catches for 802 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
A lot of drama is brewing in Indianapolis, and it will be interesting to see whether Taylor is traded before the start of the season. The Colts have roughly two more weeks of training camp and kick off the preseason on Aug. 12 against the Buffalo Bills.
On3’s Wade Peery contributed to this report.