What would it not take to increase Colts stars Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr.?

In an offseason when the pursuit of a younger quarterback and new coach Shane Steichen’s imaginative and prescient for the offense are drawing the largest headlines for the Colts, not too far down the precedence checklist ought to be paying their two greatest offensive talent gamers. 

Star working again Jonathan Taylor and huge receiver Michael Pittman Jr., each 2020 second-round picks, are eligible for contract extensions after finishing their third yr within the NFL. 

Taylor, the NFL’s speeding triple crown winner in 2021, had a tough 2022 marketing campaign, between an ankle damage that held him to 11 video games and the struggles of an offensive line that could not constantly create speeding lanes for him. But he nonetheless had a team-high 861 speeding yards on 192 carries. 

Much like Taylor’s manufacturing was impacted by a porous offensive line, Pittman’s numbers took a dip partially resulting from dangerous quarterback play (which was additionally impacted by the pass-protection woes of the offensive line). He caught 99 passes for 925 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2022. 

What can we count on in potential new offers for Taylor and Pittman? 

Taylor deserving of top-market RB deal

When one hundred pc wholesome, Taylor is a top-five working again within the NFL. He had the league’s greatest working again season in 2021: 332 carries for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns en path to unanimous AP All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod. He’s the grasp of delicate bounce cuts, and has elite burst when he hits the second degree of a protection.

Why paying Taylor could possibly be a problem for the Colts: He’s coming off an injury-shortened season at an already devalued, brief shelf-life place — on prime of getting loads of put on and tear on his physique. Beyond his NFL résumé by way of three seasons (756 carries, 3,841 speeding yards, 33 touchdowns), Taylor had three 1,900-yard speeding seasons at Wisconsin, plus a 2,800-yard season in highschool. How a lot tread is left on his tires? That could possibly be a speaking level on the negotiating desk. 

Colts basic supervisor Chris Ballard did say, although, {that a} “special playmaker” deserves prime greenback even when he is a working again, with out going to specifics a couple of potential deal for Taylor.

He’s the engine of Indianapolis’ offense, the soon-to-be insurance coverage blanket of the incoming quarterback. With a reliable offensive line, Taylor is anticipated to regain his All-Pro kind. He advised NFL Network he underwent ankle surgical procedure in January. 

So what may a brand new contract seem like for Taylor, who’s scheduled to earn $4.304 million in base wage subsequent season?

Here are a few of the extensions signed by star working backs up to now few seasons (Numbers through SpoTrac): 

• Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys): six years, $90 million whole worth, $28.05 million assured at signing, 50.05 million in whole ensures (signed September 2019)
• Christian McCaffrey (Carolina Panthers): 4 years, $64 million whole worth, $30.06 million assured at signing, $38.16 million in whole ensures (April 2020)
• Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans): 4 years, $50 million in whole worth, $25.5 million assured at signing, $25.5 million in whole ensures (July 2020)
• Joe Mixon (Cincinnati Bengals): 4 years, $48 million in whole worth, $10 million assured at signing, $10 million in whole ensures (September 2020)
• Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints): 5 years, $75 million, $22.8 million assured at signing; $33.8 million in whole ensures (September 2020)
• Dalvin Cook (Minnesota Vikings): 5 years, $63 million in whole worth, $16.3 million assured at signing, $28.1 million in whole ensures (September 2020)
• Aaron Jones (Green Bay Packers): 4 years, $48 million in whole worth, $13 million assured at signing, $14 million in whole ensures (March 2021)
• Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns): three years, $36.6 million in whole worth, $17.1 million assured at signing, $20 million in whole ensures (August 2021)

Given that four-year offers have been widespread for star working backs, that could possibly be a place to begin for Taylor’s camp. Taylor will even probably search a minimum of $16 million per yr in common annual wage, surpassing Elliott’s $15 million. McCaffrey tops working backs in AAV — $16.015 million — however the San Francisco 49ers star represents a novel case due to his uncommon receiving skill for the place. 

Even with lacking six video games final season, Elliot and McCaffrey’s contracts are probably the perfect information factors for Taylor, as a result of they’re the one two of the eight RBs listed above who earned a minimum of one AP first-team All-Pro nod earlier than their extension. 

Taylor’s camp may additionally wait to see what new offers seem like for star working backs Josh Jacobs, Miles Sanders and Saquon Barkley — all of whom are unrestricted free brokers this offseason — earlier than shifting on a contract.

Will Colts pay Pittman like a WR1?

Pittman has been the Colts’ prime receiver the previous two seasons and was a borderline 1,000-yard receiver in Indianapolis’ dysfunctional passing recreation in 2022.

Why paying him could possibly be a problem: a potential hole in the place Pittman’s agent and the Colts see his standing. In his end-of-season presser, Ballard known as Pittman a “really good freaking player” however stopped in need of saying he’s a real WR1. 

“What’s a one? What’s a real one?” Ballard stated. “A guy that every time he touches the ball, you’re scared to death that he’s going to go score. There are very few of those.”

Pittman has been Indianapolis’ No. 1 possibility, although. Despite the Colts’ quarterback challenges, he’s nonetheless eighth within the NFL in targets (262), fifth in receptions (181), sixteenth in receiving yards (1,930), sixteenth in yards after the catch (671) and eleventh in receiving first downs (101) over the previous two seasons, in response to TruMedia. 

Pittman is not on the identical degree as receivers Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and A.J. Brown, all of whom obtained mega extensions final spring. But he ought to nonetheless be capable to command No. 1 receiver cash. 

Here are some latest extensions that would function potential benchmarks for Pittman (all numbers through SpoTrac): 

• DJ Moore (Carolina Panthers): three years, $61.8 million in whole worth, $41.6 million assured at signing, $41.6 million in whole ensures (signed in March 2022)
• Christian Kirk (Jacksonville Jaguars): 4 years, $72 million in whole worth, $37 million assured at signing, $37 million in whole ensures (March 2022)
• Mike Williams (Los Angeles Chargers): three years, $60 million in whole contract worth, $40 million assured at signing, $50 million in whole ensures (March 2022)
• Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): three years, $60 million in whole worth, $40 million assured at signing, $40 million in whole ensures (March 2022)
• Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks): 4 years, $69 million in whole worth, $37 million assured at signing, $37 million in whole ensures (April 2021)

It’s cheap to count on Pittman to crack the highest 10 in common annual wage in a brand new deal at $21-22 million, bumping Moore ($20.628 million/yr) to eleventh. And a three-year deal is smart — for the 25-year-old wideout to obtain one other huge contract earlier than turning 30 and to capitalize on the anticipated explosion of the wage cap.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, the place he was the Titans beat author for a yr and a half. He lined the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) previous to shifting to Tennessee. You can observe Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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