The NFL's Highest-Paid RBs After Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor Land New Contracts

The running-back contract dam has broken with Jonathan Taylor landing a new deal from the Indianapolis Colts two days after Bijan Robinson got an extension.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter, Taylor has agreed to a two-year, $44 million extension that includes $39 million guaranteed and can max out at $47 million.

Using the $22 million average on Taylor's new deal, he is now the second-highest-paid running back in the NFL behind Robinson.

Player	AAV
1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons	$22.25 million
2. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts	$22 million
3. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles	$20.6 million
4. Devon Achane, Miami Dolphins	$16 million
5. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens	$15 million
6. Breece Hall, New York Jets	$14.5 million
7. Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs	$14.4 million
8. Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals	$13.3 million
9. Travis Etienne, New Orleans Saints	$12 million
10. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers	$12 million

Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.com.

Taylor was entering the final season of his three-year, $42 million extension signed in October 2023.

The $39 million guarantee in Taylor's new contract ranks second among all running backs, behind Jeremiyah Love's $53 million on a rookie contract.

Robinson, who had been holding in at the start of training camp while waiting for a new deal, agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension with the Falcons.

After it looked like the running back market had stalled out at one point, it's starting to make a comeback lately. Robinson is the first running back to reach the $25 million average annual salary mark. He got there just one year after Saquon Barkley became the first back to cross $20 million in AAV.

Seven of the top 10 highest-paid running backs in average annual salary have signed contracts this offseason. The only outliers are Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry.

There remains one big domino still to fall with Jahmyr Gibbs holding in as he waits for an extension from the Detroit Lions. He is the same age and from the same 2023 draft class as Robinson.

The production for Gibbs and Robinson is very close through their first three seasons. Robinson has the edge in yards from scrimmage (5,648 to 5,029), but Gibbs has more total touchdowns (49 to 34).

Taylor's extension comes after one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2025. He tied his career-high with 20 total touchdowns, led the NFL with 323 rushing attempts and ranked third with 1,585 rushing yards.