Jonathan Taylor's Agent: 'I Doubt' Relationship with Colts' Jim Irsay Can Be Repaired

The relationship between Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, running back Jonathan Taylor and his agent, Malki Kawa, has potentially been strained beyond repair.

After Irsay and Kawa traded tweets directed toward one another on Wednesday, Kawa responded to an Ian Rapoport tweet on Thursday that suggested the dynamic between the team owner and running back was incredibly fractured:

So, how did we get here?

In general, running backs are not happy with the depressed market they find themselves in, as teams more consistently rely on committee approaches at the position and seek out younger players on cheap first contracts.

That led a number of elite players at the position to reportedly hold a Zoom call over the weekend discussing the situation, which included Taylor, Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders and Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers.

"Right now, there's really nothing we can do," Chubb said. "We're kind of handcuffed with the situation. We're the only position that our production hurts us the most. If we go out there and run 2,000 yards with so many carries, the next year they're going to say, 'You're probably worn down.' It's tough. ... It hurts us at the end of the day."

Taylor has also been publicly outspoken about the depressed market:

That led to Irsay sending out a pretty pointed tweeted directed at running backs and seemingly Taylor in particular, and Kawa replied in kind:

It's hardly an ideal situation for either side. The Colts don't want to alienate a 24-year-old superstar who has already rushed for 3,841 yards and 33 touchdowns in his three seasons and is easily the centerpiece of their offense.

Taylor, in turn, doesn't want to sign a contract he deems to be below market value or risk an injury this upcoming season that would further diminish his earning power.

But the Colts hold the leverage, at least in the short term. Once Taylor becomes a free agent, they'll have the option to use the franchise tag on him twice if they so choose. Taylor's only real recourse is to hold out, though that will hit him in the bank account. But it would also keep the situation in the headlines, create a distraction and hurt Indy's offense in a palpable way.

It's a situation that could get ugly. It's certainly trending in that direction.