Star running back Jonathan Taylor has reportedly requested a trade from the Indianapolis Colts. The request came after he reported back pain during his pre-training camp physical.
However, according to reports, the injury in question was deemed to be unrelated to his time with the Colts which may very well open an interesting can of worms.
The situation has taken a complex turn, with the Colts now contemplating whether to place Taylor on the non-football injury list, potentially leading to the withholding of his salary.
The running back failed his physical due to a combination of a previous ankle injury, for which he underwent surgery earlier in the year, and the newly reported back injury. The Colts medical staff had not been aware of any back issues with Taylor until he brought it to their attention on Tuesday, leaving the team surprised by the development.
There is speculation that the back injury might be related to an old injury, but Taylor insists he continues to experience discomfort.
Responding to the news, Taylor took to social media on Sunday night, stating: “Never had a back pain” and “Never reported back pain,” expressing his confusion about the situation and implying that the reports might not be entirely accurate.
1.) Never had a back pain.
2.) Never reported back pain.
Not sure who “sources” are, but find new ones 🤔
— Jonathan Taylor (@JayT23) July 31, 2023
The situation escalated further on Saturday night when Taylor, who had been on the physically unable to perform list since reporting, had a private meeting with Colts owner Jim Irsay.
The meeting took place on Irsay’s luxury motor coach, which was parked near the practice field during the team’s evening workout. Shortly after the meeting concluded, news broke that Taylor had requested a trade during a conversation with the team the previous week.
Adding to the complications, Taylor had been seeking a contract extension from the Colts, but Irsay has now publicly stated multiple times that the team has no intentions of extending his contract at this time.
Irsay disclosed that the team hadn’t made any contract offers to Taylor, despite him being one of the best running backs in the NFL.
With Taylor’s trade request, back injury, and contract extension uncertainty, the Colts are facing significant challenges as they head into training camp and the upcoming season.
This is a messy situation that seems to get messier by the day. However, we’ve seen countless situations like these get cleaned up rather quickly.
Having said that, with Irsay being so blunt and straightforward with his public comments, this seems to be a back-and-forth that is heading down a dark path.
Whose side are you on – Taylor’s or Irsay’s?