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    Taylor says he has ‘faith’ in extension with Colts

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    IND Running Back #28
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    Colts RB Jonathan Taylor said he’s had “some good conversations” with the Colts about a new deal and he has “faith” in them coming through with one.

    Taylor, who had been a rumored hold-in, has actually participated in camp — though he did take a rest day on Friday — and Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said she would love it if Taylor “would be a Colt for life.” It seems like there’s positive momentum on an extension here, though it isn’t done just yet. Taylor is currently going off draft boards as RB4 and a top-10 pick.
Ravens, Bengals expected to make noise this season
Andrew Perloff and Paul Pabst preview the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals expected to make noise with the Pittsburgh Steelers stuck in limbo and the Cleveland Browns rebuilding the roster.

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  • IND Running Back #28
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    Taylor and GM Chris Ballard both talked about their desire to get a deal done earlier in training camp, and it didn’t take long for the two sides to reach an agreement. The deal includes $39 million guaranteed and has another $3 million for Taylor to earn via incentives. He was set to be a free agent next offseason but is now signed through the 2028 season. Taylor slowed down once Daniel Jones got injured last year. Even with the quiet finish, his season-long numbers look incredible. He ran for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns while setting career-highs in receptions (46) and receiving yards (378). Taylor is rightfully the fourth running back to be taken in most fantasy drafts this summer.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Indianapolis Star’s Joel A. Erickson puts it this way: “the Colts also find themselves at a crossroads. Ballard is headed into the final year of his contract; if Indianapolis does not win, the Colts could be headed for organizational change. A superstar running back might not fit in a rebuild.” It will be very interesting to see if Taylor holds in without a new contract. Ballard spent a lot of his press conference saying his own contract status — he’s a lame duck GM — won’t affect his ability to make long-term decisions. In his own words: We’ll see.
  • IND Running Back #28
    To be clear, the headline of this article said Taylor “could — and should — hold in” and the article itself mostly focuses on why he should and would have a lot of leverage if he attempted to. There’s not exactly a pull quote here from Taylor that suggests he’s leaning one way or the other. But Boyd has been on the beat in Indianapolis for a bit and we believe there’s a real chance this happens. Taylor didn’t technically hold in during an acrimonious contract dispute ahead of the 2023 season so much as he dealt with a right ankle injury that suddenly healed after he got a contract before Week 5. Boyd believes Taylor “despite being three years older, has more leverage now than he did in 2023.” The Colts certainly don’t have a real backup plan for him at running back based on how last season and this offseason went.
  • IND Running Back #28
    “If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he’s just going to be that much better,” Smith continued. We’re not that concerned about this from a fantasy perspective because the Colts haven’t exactly invested in finding that player. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a player,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “It’s hard to take him off the field when he’s running so good.” Taylor should remain in the RB1 conversation this year, though it’s going to be harder to believe in him posting his early-season numbers if Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury limits him.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Taylor, 27, has totaled more than 320 offensive touches in each of the last two seasons. His current $14 million annual salary makes him the seventh-highest-paid running back in the league. Taylor has set multiple Colts records, operating as the centerpiece of Indianapolis’ offense for years. FOX 59’s Mike Chappell writes that it is “uncertain whether there’s a mutual desire to keep Taylor in Indy beyond 2025.” Multiple Colts stars, including DTs DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, OG Quenton Nelson and WR Josh Downs, are also entering the final year of their deal. Chappell believes owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon “might believe it’s more prudent to allow the upcoming season to run its course rather than reinvest in lucrative contracts.” Time will tell.
  • IND Running Back #28
    That can change if the Colts select a ballyhooed running back in the 2026 NFL Draft, but at this time, Taylor looks like he should handle another RB1-worthy workload next season. Taylor’s 369 offensive touches in 2025 rank second at the position and he is one among just 10 NFL running backs to clear 300 offensive touches during the regular season. He logged 321 in 2024. No. 2 RB DJ Giddens touched the ball 18 times last season and therefore enters 2026 as an unknown. If Taylor can again remain largely healthy next season, he has decent odds of surpassing 300 touches again.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Every Colts player suffered from a tale of two halves because of Daniel Jones’ knee and torn Achilles injuries. Taylor rushed for 1139 yards and 15 touchdowns in the first 10 games of the season. He didn’t crack 100 yards in any single game afterwards, adding just three more touchdowns to the total ledger. He was the PPR RB3 overall through 17 weeks, but there is some uncertainty about how he’ll hold on to that with Jones’ mobility likely compromised in 2026 -- not to mention Jones’ impending free agency, or the idea that the Colts might move on from their coaching staff. The talent has always been there for Taylor to play like this. If the Colts can give him solid quarterback play again, he should be in the top-5 RB mix in 2026.
  • IND Running Back #28
    He lost a second score to a holding penalty, the Colts ended that drive with a Philip Rivers touchdown pass to Mo-Alie Cox. The Jaguars were essentially sitting on Taylor carries the entire game — it’s not like Rivers could threaten them over the top — and they’ve got a good enough rushing defense that Taylor was left trying to bounce plays outside for big plays. Taylor managed just nine carries for 19 yards in the second half. The Colts don’t have a major reason to play him in Week 18 against the Texans, but it isn’t completely out of the question that he tries to catch James Cook for the rushing crown after coming into today trailing by 43 yards. Colts will be tough plays against a Texans defense with something to play for in Week 18.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Taylor struggled throughout behind an injury-ravaged offensive line against a defense many before him had found success against. He salvaged his fantasy outing with a touchdown plunge from one yard out in the fourth quarter to bring the team within seven points, a deficit they ultimately fell short of overcoming. The Colts could also be turning back to rookie Riley Leonard under center moving forward now that they are eliminated from the playoffs, something that could dent his fantasy upside over the final two weeks of the regular season.
  • IND Running Back #26
    Abdullah was very much involved as a pass catcher, though he only ran six pass routes and saw a target on five of those routes. Jonathan Taylor, meanwhile, logged 18 routes and saw four targets from check-down artist Philip Rivers, 44, who made his first start since 2020 on Sunday against Seattle. With short-area pass catchers set to feast with Rivers under center, Abdullah could have some value in deeper formats next week against the 49ers.

Rotoworld

  • ATL Quarterback #9
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    ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Falcons’ starting quarterback decision could be announced “as early as Monday.”

    Fowler notes that the official depth chart will be set on Wednesday, so the decision could be delayed by two days. Regardless, media members will surely ask coach Kevin Stefanski about it during Monday’s media session. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe previously reported that the Falcons plan to start QB Michael Penix (knee) “eventually.” That said, QB Tua Tagovailoa could start a game or two early on.
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    ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Patriots and CB Christian Gonzalez “remain apart on several key elements” in contract negotiations.

    Gonzalez is apparently “non-committal” about playing in Week 1 against the Seahawks. The Patriots, meanwhile, are reportedly prepared to make Gonzalez the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback by surpassing the $33 million-per-year mark set by Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon. The problem is that the two sides have “fundamental” disagreements over the deal’s length and structure. Kickoff is five days away. Stay tuned.
  • SF Defensive Lineman #91
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    49ers place EDGE Sam Okuayinonu on injured reserve with a foot injury.

    Okuayinonu totaled 30 tackles, 28 quarterback pressures and three sacks for the 49ers last season. He will be eligible to return in Week 5. Losing him softens San Francisco’s pass rush in the short term.
  • JAC Wide Receiver #11
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    Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said the team would be open to negotiating an extension with WR Parker Washington in-season.

    Washington, 24, is entering a contract year, coming off the best season of his career. He is reportedly expected to be the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. If Washington plays up to that standard, he will unquestionably be able to raise his asking price. Signing him to a deal right now could save the team money in the long term, but the front office evidently wants to see how he fares early in the year. Although this route could be costly, having a true No. 1 wide receiver affirm his financial value with top-tier play is a good problem to have.
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    Free agent S Taylor Rapp worked out for the Broncos on Friday.

    The Broncos released him last week. A reunion is clearly possible. At 28 years old, he is likely best suited to a backup role while contributing on special teams.
  • JAC Quarterback #16
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    Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence said he is more confident in his “progressions, adjustments, when to kill a play and what to call instead.”

    According to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Lawrence’s offseason “was about gaining a graduate-level understanding” of coach Liam Coen’s offense. Last season, Lawrence was rehabbing an injury while attempting to change his footwork and adjust to a new play caller. He is now calmer and “can play more freely the way he did in the second half of last season.” Lawrence was the overall QB1 in total scoring from Weeks 9-18. If Lawrence and his pass catchers can carry the momentum into 2026, Lawrence can once again finish as an elite QB1, this time from Week 1 onward.
  • SF Outside Linebacker
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    49ers signed OLB Khalid Kareem, formerly of the Falcons.

    Kareem spent the last two seasons as a Falcons backup, totaling eight tackles and nine quarterback pressures. He will now fly to Australia ahead of the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Rams.
  • PHI Wide Receiver #9
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    ESPN’s Tim McManus believes “expectations should be tempered early” for Eagles WR Makai Lemon.

    It’s a reasonable assessment for a rookie who missed valuable spring and summer practice reps due to a recurring hamstring strain. Lemon reportedly admitted that he should have been “more professional off the field” regarding the injury, and Eagles WR coach Aaron Moorehead eventually told him to do “whatever” WR DeVonta Smith did during his own hamstring rehab program. Per McManus, “coaches say Lemon attacked the mental part of the game with high intensity as he waited to get healthy.” McManus believes Lemon should get playing time right away, but Smith and WR Dontayvion Wicks will “receive the bulk of targets while the rookie gets his footing.” Lemon must be safely stashed on benches at this time.
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    Bills released LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.

    Flannigan-Fowles, 30, could end up contributing to a special teams unit elsewhere in the NFL.
  • PHI Quarterback #1
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    ESPN’s Tim McManus reports that Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has bought into new OC Sean Mannion’s scheme “and is fighting hard through the learning curve.”

    McManus adds that “the feedback internally has been positive” regarding Hurts’ development. Mannion’s West Coast-style system is a “heavy under-center operation” that will increase the team’s play-action rate, decrease its shotgun usage and require the quarterback and his pass catchers to be on time throughout the play. Hurts has thrown more interceptions than beat reporters are “accustomed to seeing” in training camp, but McManus believes “some” of them can be chalked up to the learning curve that comes with a new system, particularly one featuring passes thrown over the middle. McManus adds that the offensive line depth’s emergence has been the biggest under-the-radar development this season, boding positively for Hurts’ performance in both the short- and long-term.