Report: Colts Considering Placing Jonathan Taylor on NFI List Due to Back Injury

The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly considering placing star running back Jonathan Taylor on the non-football injury list.

According to Mike Chappell of Fox 59/CBS 4, Taylor “suffered some type of back injury while working out on [his] own in Arizona.” He had already been on the PUP list while rehabbing from ankle surgery in January.

ESPN’s Stephen Holder added:

Holder later added:

Taylor failed his physical, the source said, because of a combination of a previous ankle injury for which surgery was performed earlier this year and the back injury. The team’s medical staff had not previously discussed a back issue with Taylor, and the Colts were unaware of the problem until Taylor reported Tuesday, the source said.

There’s some belief that the back issue stems from an old injury, but Taylor continues to complain of discomfort, according to the source.

Taylor took to Twitter on Sunday night to refute the reports:

The fourth-year back missed six games due to injury in 2022, resulting in by far the worst season of his career. He finished with career lows in rushing yards (861), rushing touchdowns (four), receptions (28) and receiving yards (148) while also losing three fumbles. After posting 10 games of 100 yards rushing in 2021, Taylor had just two last season.

The shaky performance led to relative silence regarding Taylor’s contract situation as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. The Wisconsin product told reporters he noticed the leaguewide trend in limiting second contracts to running backs and said he was hopeful the Colts would pay him accordingly.

“You definitely have to pay attention, just so you know, ‘OK, what type of space are you entering into?'” Taylor said last month. “And you just hope from the track record here [in Indianapolis] that things are being evaluated the right way.”

The situation reached a boiling point on Saturday, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Taylor requested to be traded from the Colts after meeting with team owner Jim Irsay. However, Irsay said on Saturday, via The Athletic’s James Boyd, that the team will not trade Taylor.

The possible placement on the NFI list complicates things. Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer pointed out that the Colts don’t have to pay Taylor while he’s on the NFI list. If the injury is serious enough to where he’d miss the entire season, he would be on the hook to be paid on the final year of his rookie deal in 2024.

Indianapolis has no quality backup plan behind Taylor. Zack Moss and Deon Jackson are replacement-level options, and Evan Hull is an unproven fifth-round pick. It remains to be seen how the situation will play out between Taylor and the Colts.