Indianapolis, IN
What's going on with Jonathan Taylor? Colts running back leaves training camp again
The Colts’ best offensive weapon, Jonathan Taylor, is once again away from the team and not participating in any training camp activities.
The 24-year-old player, who is on the team’s “physically unable to perform” list after undergoing ankle surgery in January, has been excused from camp due to a “personal matter” according to a team’s statement released on Wednesday.
“Jonathan Taylor returned to Indianapolis to continue his rehab, however he had a personal matter arise. He is not currently with the team and his absence is excused,” read the statement.
There is no report of when the team expects to have Taylor back.
Taylor’s absence from training camp
Taylor initially reported to camp with the rest of the Colts’ veterans on July 25. The team immediately placed him on the PUP list due to his ongoing recovery.
But just days after going into camp the running back met with Colts’ owner Jim Irsay in hopes to engage in contract extension talks as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
When negotiations went sour the team announced publicly that Taylor had officially requested a trade.
At that point, Irsay said publicly that the team had no plans to trade the All-Pro star.
We’re not trading Jonathan … end of discussion. Not now and not in October
Taylor is set to make $4.3 million dollars in 2023.
The running back left the Colts training camp a week after meeting with Irsay and he hadn’t been seen near the team’s facilities until Monday.
Colts running game without Taylor
The 3-year veteran is one of the most productive running backs in the NFL and is known for his explosiveness and speed.
During his first three campaigns with Indianapolis #28 has amassed 3,841 yards and has scored 33 touchdowns. On top of that, the 24-year-old has 3 TD catches and 802 receiving yards.
While there is no timeline on when Taylor can be back on the field, his absence means that the team will have to rely on Deon Jackson, Jake Funk and rookie Evan Hull, as Taylor’s backup Zack Moss, suffered a broken forearm and is expected to be out until October.
The Colts’ will face off against the Chicago Bears on Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday night at 7pm ET.