The league called Indy's bluff when the franchise tried to deal Jonathan Taylor ahead of Tuesday's roster cut deadline. Days after the trade went up in smoke, a new report has come out revealing just how prepared Taylor's suitors were to acquire the Colts back.
The Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers were two teams speculated to be in the Jonathan Taylor trade talks with the Colts, and both were willing to make Taylor one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL entering the 2023 season, according to Josina Anderson.
That's one seriously expensive bid. For the Colts to fail to iron things out on their end, when the Packers and Dolphins had their wallets open and ready to pay Taylor, is another embarrassing loss for Jim Irsay and Co.
Anderson declined to get into specifics, so no one knows exactly how much the Dolphins or Packers offered Taylor or what Taylor himself may have been looking for.
Packers, Dolphins willing to pay for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor
For a ballpark of the current highest-paid running backs in the NFL, 49ers' Christian McCaffrey makes $16 million a year, Saints' Alvin Kamara makes $15 million a year, and Titans' Derrick Henry makes $12.5 million a year.
One may assume that Taylor would have received a contract giving him $12 million or more annually for an unknown number of years.
The holdup in the Taylor talks was most likely that Indy didn't agree with what the other teams were offering them. The Colts reportedly wanted Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle -- they weren't getting him.
Indy still has until the October 31 trade deadline to shop Taylor, who is set to start the 2023 season on the PUP list and will miss the first four games. Based on the latest reports, other teams appear more than willing to pay Taylor -- the Colts just don't appear willing to let him go without getting a sack of gold in return.
