Jonathan Taylor 'Committed' to Playing for Colts amid Injury, Contract, Trade Rumors

It was an offseason of trade requests, contract turmoil and injury concerns for running back Jonathan Taylor, but he is "committed" to the Indianapolis Colts now that the team opened his 21-day practice window.

"If somebody wasn't committed, they wouldn't be here," Taylor told reporters Thursday. "I'm here."

He also said he is healthy after offseason ankle surgery and isn't worried about his contract status with the season ongoing:

This is the final year of Taylor's contract, and this offseason featured back-and-forths between his agent and Colts owner Jim Irsay as well as a trade request. Yet Indianapolis never found a deal to its liking, and he is still on the roster.

The Wisconsin product missed the team's first four games after undergoing the ankle surgery this offseason. He was also limited to 11 games last year and clearly put a priority on making sure he was healthy before returning.

His latest comments seem to indicate he is ready to go, and head coach Shane Steichen hasn't ruled out playing the star running back as early as Sunday's contest against the Tennessee Titans.

The Colts have primarily used Zack Moss in place of Taylor to start the campaign, and he has responded by rushing for 280 yards and one touchdown on 66 carries.

Moss has been relatively effective, but he cannot replicate what Taylor can do when playing at his best. The 24-year-old led the NFL in carries (332), rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18) during a brilliant 2021 campaign and will look to rediscover that form now that he is presumably healthy.

His return will give Indianapolis another dimension to its offense, especially with the presence of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. Richardson is at his best when using his legs to make plays, and the read option could be particularly dangerous if he is sharing the backfield with someone like Taylor.

Every team in the AFC South is 2-2, so there is an opportunity for the Colts to make some noise as a potential playoff squad this year.

Getting Taylor back will make them much more likely to do just that.