Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor returned to the team this week but remained on the sideline rehabbing his surgically repaired ankle.
While the contract dispute has received the headlines, general manager Chris Ballard suggested it's the rehab holding back Taylor from participating in practice.
"Look, I think the world of Jonathan," Ballard told SiriusXM NFL Radio, per Mike Chappell of CBS/FOX Indy. "He's been a great Colt, a great player for the Colts. Unfortunately, last year he got hurt early in the season, was dinged up all year, fought through it until he finally got to the point where he had to have this surgery.
"Now, he's finishing his rehab process. Hopefully, as we move forward here, we'll get him back. But we need to get him 100% healthy before we do anything."
Taylor requested a trade after contract talks with owner Jim Irsay went nowhere. With Taylor set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, making a base salary of $4.3 million, the RB wants the security of a long-term deal. With the franchise tag at its disposal, giving it at least two more years of contractual control, Indy currently has no designs of paying a running back big money.
The injury has exacerbated the contract issue. Perhaps Irsay and the Colts would have been more amenable to a new deal had Taylor not missed six games due to a nagging ankle injury last season. Perhaps that's a convenient excuse for not paying a RB.
Taylor rehabbed out of state last week but returned to Indy Monday to continue the work in-house. The RB was placed on the physically unable to perform list to open training camp.
The Colts have been mostly tight-lipped when discussing Taylor's progress or situation.
"He's rehabbing," coach Shane Steichen said Tuesday. "Going forward, he's rehabbing, and I'm not going to get into specifics. Like I said last week, once he's out here, he'll be out here."
The question at this point is whether Taylor will be cleared for contact before Indy faces off against the Jacksonville Jaguars 25 days from now.
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