Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will be back with the team this week, yet there has been no change to his availability for practice.
The Colts excused Taylor’s absence last week as he attended to a personal matter.
Meanwhile, the Colts will travel to Philadelphia for practices with the Eagles ahead of their final preseason game of the summer.
Head Coach Steichen said Taylor is part of the traveling party. Steichen also noted that Taylor remains on the physically unable to perform list for now because of his ankle injury and is ineligible for any practices.
Taylor previously missed training camp to get treatment on the ankle away from the team and asked the team for a trade earlier this summer as he moves into the final year of his rookie contract without any sign of an imminent extension.
While he has spent the past two weeks on the physically unable to perform list, Taylor had been a regular around the field and in team meetings — until Tuesday, which prompted speculation about whether he was even at Indy’s training camp complex.
“This is part of his rehab process. If you guys don’t see him out here, it is part of his rehab,” Steichen said before being asked whether Taylor was working onsite or at another venue. “I’ll refrain from getting into that.”
Steichen also avoided talking about Taylor’s contract. The former New Jersey prep star will make roughly $4.3 million this season, which is also the final year of his rookie contract.
“It was just a good conversation and, you know, hopeful going forward,” Irsay said at the time. “We’re looking forward to a great season, hoping that Jonathan’s a big part of that, and I think we had a good conversation.”
Taylor topped the 2,000-yard mark twice in college at Wisconsin and rushed for 2,980 yards and 29 TDs in his first two NFL seasons.
He was a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2021 when he led the league with 2,171 total yards and tied for the league lead in total touchdowns with 20.
“I think he’s in a good spot, and we’re going from there,” Steichen said. “We’ll see how it all plays out though. Again, once he’s cleared, he’ll be out here.”
