Saturday was a nice day to be a fan of the Indianapolis Colts. Mere moments after he was activated off of the team's physically unable to perform list, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor reportedly agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract extension that includes $26.5 million guaranteed.
Taylor, whose ankle injury kept him sidelined during the season's first four games, was slated to make $4.3 million this season under the final year of his rookie salary. Now, Taylor will make an average of $14 million per season, which puts him among the league's highest-paid running backs.
The league's former rushing champion has increased the number of running backs that make at least $10 million to nine. Three of those players, however, are playing on one-year deals. The Giants' Saquon Barkley and the Cowboys' Tony Pollard are playing under franchise tags, but Barkley was able to get a $2 million signing bonus.
Highest-paid running backs based on annual salary
-- according to Over the Cap
| Player | Age | Team | Total value | Year signed | Avg. annual salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christian McCaffrey | 27 | $64,063,412 | 2020 | $16,015,853 | |
Alvin Kamara | 28 | $75,000,000 | 2020 | $15,000,000 | |
| Jonathan Taylor | 24 | Colts | $42,000,000 | 2023 | $14,000,000 |
Derrick Henry | 29 | $50,000,000 | 2020 | $12,500,000 | |
Nick Chubb | 28 | $36,600,000 | 2021 | $12,200,000 | |
| Josh Jacobs | 25 | Raiders | $11,791,000 | 2023 | $11,791,000 |
| Aaron Jones | 29 | Packers | $23,000,000 | 2021 | $11,500,000 |
| Saquon Barkley | 26 | Giants | $10,091,000 (up to $11M) | 2023 | $10,091,000 (up to $11M) |
| Tony Pollard | 26 | Cowboys | $10,091,000 | 2023 | $10,091,000 |
As you can see, it had been two years since a running back has signed a lucrative, long-term deal. And the last player who did, Jones, restructured his deal this offseason in order to help the Packers free up cap space.
Given the current climate, Taylor's extension is a huge win for the running back position. His deal should help Jacobs, Barkley, Pollard and the Chargers' Austin Ekeler secure more lucrative deals next offseason.
Taylor can further help his peers by performing well over the course of his contract. That shouldn't be a problem for Taylor as long as he can avoid serious injuries. The former second-round pick went over 1,100 yards during his rookie season while helping the Colts secure a playoff berth. He won the NFL's rushing title the following year while breaking Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James' franchise single season rushing mark.
While quarterbacks are the NFL's big money makers, running backs are still vital to a team's success. The 49ers' recent success, for example, is largely due to the success of McCaffrey, who currently leads the NFL with 459 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Conversely, the Giants' 1-3 start is due at least partly to Barkley's absence as he has missed New York's last two game with an ankle injury.
Playing well, Ekeler told CBS Sports earlier this year, is the best way the league's top running backs can help increase the position's market value.
"There's been a few running backs who have come out and said don't play the position. I could not disagree with that more," Ekeler said. "Yeah, we're going through a period where there's some controversy, there's some pushback on us, but we're not giving up. We're not going to let all this work we put in go to waste, because guess what? We do make an impact. ... Go down and talk to these coordinators that have stud running backs and they're going to say, 'Yes, we need this guy on the field because our offense is different when he's on the field as opposed to when he is not.'
"For a guy like Najee (Harris), it's like continue to play at a high level. And for us older guys, we've got to help you out. We've got to make sure we're fighting for this. … This is a brotherhood."