Updated

Updated · NFL.com · Aug 6

Jonathan Taylor Lands 2-Year, $44 Million Colts Extension With $39 Million Guaranteed

Updated

Updated · NFL.com · Aug 6

Jonathan Taylor Lands 2-Year, $44 Million Colts Extension With $39 Million Guaranteed

Q: With Jonathan Taylor securing a historic third contract, will his massive workload finally catch up to him before the deal expires?

Probably not before this two-year deal ends, but the risk is real and rising. Taylor is still performing like an elite back at 27. He has posted 1,431 and 1,585 rushing yards in the past two seasons, led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2025, and handled 323 carries plus 46 catches last season. That kind of production is exactly why Indianapolis gave him a historic third contract with $39 million guaranteed. The concern is volume. Taylor has surpassed 300 carries in a season three times since entering the league in 2020, joining Derrick Henry as one of the few backs to absorb that much work repeatedly. Add in his heavy Wisconsin workload, and the total touch count becomes harder to ignore. He already has roughly 2,700 combined college and NFL touches, which puts him in the range where many running backs begin to decline. The Colts know it. Shane Steichen and running backs coach DeAndre Smith have both publicly said they need to reduce Taylor’s burden. Last season he accounted for 73.1% of Indianapolis’ rushing attempts, the highest share in the NFL, and the team has admitted it wants more help from backups DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan. That makes the most likely answer this: Taylor should remain highly productive through most or all of this extension if Indianapolis manages him better. If the Colts keep giving him 320-plus carries and 350-plus touches a year, the odds of injury or sudden decline rise sharply before the contract expires.

3 articles · Updated · NFL.com · Aug 6

$44 million over two years will keep Jonathan Taylor in Indianapolis under a new extension agreed Thursday, with the deal reportedly worth up to $47 million.
$39 million is guaranteed, underscoring the Colts' commitment to locking in their star running back rather than letting his future drift closer to free agency.
Taylor's extension secures a centerpiece of the Colts offense after a 2025 season highlighted in the report, giving Indianapolis cost certainty and backfield continuity.