Jonathan Taylor's relationship with the Colts appeared to already be frayed with the Colts before owner Jim Irsay tweeted his thoughts about the NFL's running back market. Now, It appears that Jonathan Taylor's time with the Colts will soon be coming to an end.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the Colts had given Taylor permission to seek a trade amid an ongoing saga, with Taylor becoming the face of NFL front offices' contentious relationships with running backs.
That puts the Colts in a precarious position at running back. If Taylor isn't present, the Colts have only a couple of experienced options behind him. Kenyan Drake is the biggest name while rookie fifth-round pick Evan Hull looks to be another frontrunner to get touches in the backfield. Deon Jackson, Jake Funk, and Jason Huntley will also be jockeying for spots in the pecking order.
In addition to Taylor's ongoing situation, Zack Moss is out for the time being with a broken arm, further exacerbating the dearth of depth at the position for Indianapolis.
MORE: Jonathan Taylor's best landing spots, from the Bears to the Dolphins
Here's a look at what the Colts' running back depth chart will look like if they do, in fact, trade Taylor.
Colts RB depth chart
1. Jonathan Taylor
Taylor is one of the NFL's best running backs. He has the second-most rush yards in the NFL over the past two seasons at 2,672, trailing only Nick Chubb in Cleveland. He's also tied for the fourth-most touchdowns in that same span at 22. His consistency is his calling card. At 24 years old, the Wisconsin product has a lot of tread on his tires, and there's no reason to think his production will drop off.
The Colts would certainly like to have Taylor serve as their starter, but it appears that ship may have sailed. And if they are forced to trade Taylor, they don't have much depth behind him.
2. Kenyan Drake
Playing on his fourth team in four years, Drake might have a chance to leave a mark in Indianapolis. The Alabama product played in Baltimore last season, getting 93 carries for 442 yards. The Colts may be heartened by his 4.5 yards per carry, but there's also no denying the Ravens play in an offense tailor-made to help YPC.
Drake is a few years removed from his 239-carry, 955-yard season in Arizona. But with a depleted depth chart and Taylor's future looking blurry, the veteran might get a real chance to thrive alongside Anthony Richardson.
MORE: Jonathan Taylor's agent responds to Jim Irsay's 'bad faith' comments
3. Evan Hull
A Northwestern product, Evan Hull was drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft at No. 176 overall.
Hull dazzled with the Wildcats, picking up 5 YPC and improving his receiving out of the backfield over the past two years. However, he hasn't been especially impressive in the preseason. Rookie running backs getting playing time is nothing new, but they need to earn it when enough names are in the stable.
4. Deon Jackson
Deon Jackson enters his third year with the Colts, having seen an increased workload in his second year.
Jackson was unimpressive in his start in the second game of the preseason as well, but he was working with the Colts' backup offensive line. Jackson is arguably the most likely name on the Colts depth chat to make an unexpected impact, but it's going to have to pick up quickly.
5. Jake Funk
Now we get into some of the longshot names to make an impact.
Funk was signed to the Colts practice squad in November 2022. So far in the preseason, he has 12 carries for 31 yards and two touchdowns. He may end up being a short-yardage specialist for the Colts if they truly want to go by committee.
6. Jason Huntley
Jason Huntley has spent his last two seasons with the Eagles, getting 13 carries for 51 yards last year.
He was signed by the Colts on Aug. 9, and got a heavy workload against the Bears. He took eight carries for 19 yards.