Jim Irsay addresses Jonathan Taylor situation, but doesn't really say much
On Saturday night, Colts owner Jim Irsay addressed the lingering contract kerfuffle with running back Jonathan Taylor. The good news is Irsay likely didn't make things worse by speaking on the subject.
"We’re excited to have Jonathan Taylor back," Irsay said on the broadcast of the Bears-Colts preseason game. "I know these things are always difficult, I respect any time people are, they're trying to fight for their position for their families and all those things. And, you know, l've been around it so long that I just think the biggest thing that I preach is timing is everything. We're really looking forward to him to playing his way into being the Jonathan Taylor he was. And we're really excited to have him and we want to do everything we can to support him and embrace him as a Colt, because he's a great young man. I can't say enough about him and his family.
"Look[,] you have these problems, you know how it is. You never go in with no problems at all. These days you hope you have less contractual problems because the way the CBA is and they work a lot of things through. But you have them and that's what I know [G.M.] Chris Ballard is going to work hard on and try to get the waters as calm as they can and go forward."
The reference to the Collective Bargaining Agreement is telling. Without directly saying it, Irsay is saying, "We've managed to make it much harder and more expensive for players who don't like their contracts to do anything about it. And we really like it that way."
Taylor didn't hold out. He should have. The Colts have been suspicious that he's holding in. The goal has been to let things settle down, so that Taylor can realize his best play is to play. To have a great season, and to hope for the best in 2024.
The problem is that the CBA lets the Colts use the franchise tag, in 2024 and then in 2025. That keeps Taylor from getting market value, whatever his market value might be, until he's past the point of commanding big money.
Of course, the CBA also leaves him with few options. He could lean on his ankle issue and limit his playing time in 2023, hopeful it will keep the Colts from applying the franchise tag in 2024. But if he barely plays this year, will he get the kind of contract he wants on the open market? And would other teams shy away from giving him big money, so as not to give running backs in contract years a roadmap for free agency?
It continues to be a mess. Taylor reportedly continues to want a trade. It continues to be too late for that in 2023. If he's willing to not play much or at all in 2023 and take his chances in 2024, maybe he will.
If that's how it plays out, it's hard to imagine Irsay not eventually saying something that will make things worse.
