Colts Sign Jonathan Taylor to $44 Million Extension Days After Bijan Robinson's Record RB Deal This Week

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts and running back Jonathan Taylor agreed to terms Thursday on a two-year, $44 million contract extension, keeping the three-time Pro Bowler in Indianapolis for years to come and making him the second star running back to sign a major new deal in training camp this week.

The extension, first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, is worth up to $47 million with incentives and includes $39 million guaranteed, the third-largest guarantee ever secured by a running back in NFL history. The deal was finalized by Taylor's agent, Malki Kawa of First Round Management.

A Deal Reached Without Drama

Taylor had been entering the final season of the three-year, $42 million extension he signed with the Colts in 2023, a deal that itself followed a lengthy standoff and trade request during that year's training camp. This time, negotiations proceeded far more smoothly. Unlike fellow running backs Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons and Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions, both of whom staged training camp hold-ins while seeking new contracts this summer, Taylor continued participating fully in camp while talks with the Colts progressed.

Taylor had made his desire to stay in Indianapolis clear well before a deal came together. Speaking with reporters in June, he said he would definitely love to be a Colt for life, and reiterated that sentiment in July, saying he had faith the situation would work out. Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon had also publicly signaled support for keeping Taylor with the franchise long-term, adding to the sense that an extension was a matter of when rather than if.

Following a Record-Setting Week for Running Backs

Taylor's extension comes just two days after Atlanta's Bijan Robinson signed a three-year deal worth up to $75 million, a contract that made Robinson the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Taylor's new deal carries an average annual value of $22 million, narrowly trailing the $22.25 million average Robinson secured with the Falcons, positioning the two backs' new contracts as the two most significant running back deals reached so far this offseason.

With Taylor's deal now finalized, attention within the running back market has shifted to Gibbs, who remains in a hold-in at Detroit's training camp as he seeks his own extension. Gibbs has continued to skip practice while talks with the Lions continue, making him the most prominent name still seeking a new contract at the position as the preseason gets underway.

A Proven Workhorse for Indianapolis

Taylor, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft out of Wisconsin, has established himself as one of the most productive backs of his generation across six NFL seasons. He won the league rushing title in 2021 with 1,811 yards and earned first-team All-Pro honors that year, and followed that up with back-to-back 1,400-plus-yard rushing seasons in 2024 and 2025. Last season alone, Taylor improved on nearly every statistical category from the year before, finishing with 1,585 rushing yards while leading the NFL in carries with 323, rushing touchdowns with 18, and rushing first downs with 84.

Taylor now ranks as the second-leading rusher in Colts franchise history with 7,598 career yards on the ground, trailing only Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, who finished his Colts career with 9,226 rushing yards. Taylor served as the engine of Indianapolis' offense in 2025, accounting for the vast majority of the team's ground production; the Colts finished with 2,007 total rushing yards as a team, with Taylor alone responsible for 1,585 of them.

A Priority for a Team Under Pressure

Locking up Taylor was widely viewed as a priority for a Colts front office and coaching staff entering the 2026 season under significant pressure to build on recent momentum. Colts running backs coach DeAndre Smith has said the team is looking for ways to lighten Taylor's overall workload in the coming season, explaining that finding additional backs capable of absorbing carries would help keep Taylor fresher and more effective over the course of a full season, while emphasizing that having Taylor healthy and available each week remains the top priority for the coaching staff.

Part of a Broader Shift in the Running Back Market

Taylor's extension adds to a broader wave of significant investment at the running back position this offseason, a trend that comes after several years in which teams had grown increasingly reluctant to commit substantial guaranteed money to backs given the position's traditionally short shelf life and high injury risk. Taylor himself has pointed to the position's changing perception around draft valuation as evidence of this shift, referencing the Arizona Cardinals' decision to draft Jeremiyah Love third overall in this year's draft, the highest a running back has been selected since Saquon Barkley went second overall in 2018. Taylor noted that it had previously been rare to see a running back drafted in the top five or top 10 of the first round, calling the recent trend toward valuing the position more highly at the top of drafts a notable departure from recent history.

With Taylor's deal now finalized, two of the three most prominent running backs seeking new contracts entering this summer's training camps, Robinson and Taylor, have reached agreements before the start of preseason games, leaving Gibbs as the most significant remaining name still working toward an extension with the Lions. Taylor's new contract locks him in with Indianapolis through the next three seasons, giving him a potential fourth contract opportunity as he approaches his age-30 campaign, while providing the Colts continuity at a position that has anchored their offense throughout his six seasons with the franchise.