The big question looming in Indianapolis is whether Jonathan Taylor will take another snap with the Colts or not. He will come off the PUP list on Monday and be eligible to play, but we can’t ignore the work we have seen from Zack Moss in his absence.
Taylor has not been on the field with the team since the end of last season due to an ankle injury and contract disputes. There are rumors that Taylor has no desire to take the field for the Colts again as they still don’t want to give him a long-term contract. Colts GM Chris Ballard emphasized that the Colts only won four games last year and are not sure they want to make a commitment to someone who has not helped them be victorious. Taylor’s talent is undeniable, but does it make sense for a team to invest 40-50 million dollars over the next three years after all of this drama? The NFL has become more of a passing league and has shifted its priorities to allocating salary cap wide receivers over running backs. We have seen this more clearly than ever going into the 2023 season.
So, let’s go back to Zack Moss and what he has been able to accomplish in Taylor’s absence. In just two games, Moss has run the ball for 210 yards on 48 attempts. He has scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Zack has really shown what he can do with this Colts team and for just over $1.2M. Let’s not sleep on him or the Colts, as they are currently in first place in the AFC South without Taylor.
This leads to the question of whether the team and Taylor can recover their relationship after all this. In my opinion, I say no. Building trust works both ways, and I believe the trust has been broken on both sides of the negotiations. Football is not just a physical game, there is a lot that goes into it psychologically; when a player sits out, and the team is not giving what the player wants, it hits the mental aspect of the game pretty hard. We have seen this in the past with various players, and it typically doesn’t end well. I don’t expect JT to suit up for the Colts again, making Moss a potential fantasy football starter for the rest of the season.