There's trouble brewing in Indy. As running back Jonathan Taylor continues to rehab an ankle injury, a new player has arrived to town…
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is knee deep in a contract dispute following what was presumably an unproductive conversation in Jim Irsay's bus. To make matters worse, it appears as though Taylor hasn't fully recovered from injury this offseason with reports that he left training camp this week.
According to ESPN, sources claimed Taylor left the Colts facility on Tuesday to rehab his ankle injury off-site.
Taylor suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 of the 2022 regular season and never completely recovered. Now, not only is Taylor still rehabbing his ankle, but he's reportedly doing so away from the Colts, which sends a concerning message about his future with the team.
The 24-year-old had ankle surgery in January and has remained on the physically unable to perform list this offseason. Prior to news of his rehab plans, Taylor was spotted on the sidelines watching his team's training camp practices.
Tuesday appears to be the first day Taylor was absent from camp, and head coach Shane Steichen stressed Taylor's absence was injury-related, not contract-related.
Steichen told reporters, "If you don't see him out here, it's part of his rehab."
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor rehabs away from team as Kareem Hunt visits
But wait, there's more. On the same day Taylor was missing from camp, it was announced that the Colts were hosting free agent Kareem Hunt for a visit on Wednesday.
Hunt had touched down in New Orleans for a visit this week, during which ESPN's Diana Russini said the Saints were expected to sign the ex-Browns running back. In a startling twist, Russini revealed that while he was in NOLA, Hunt got a call from the Colts offering him a bigger contract.
With Taylor both semi-injured and majorly disgruntled, Kareem Hunt could be developing into Indy's emergency plan at running back this season.
In summary: Taylor is still rehabbing last season's ankle injury and has no definite timeline to return to the team; like many other running backs, he also wants to get paid. The Colts are trying out Kareem Hunt on Wednesday. Colts owner Jim Irsay, despite choosing an orca over Taylor, has emphatically declared the team will not trade Taylor ahead of 2023.
We all thought the Colts franchise hit its lowest point in recent years during the Wentz era, but somehow, things keep getting worse. Indy's offseason in two words: Pure chaos.
