Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Jonathan Taylor’s absence from the practice field Tuesday has nothing to do with the recent drama between the team and the star running back.
Taylor, who is on the PUP list, hasn’t been practicing but has usually watched the training camp sessions from the sideline, according to Mike Chappell of Fox59. He wasn’t spotted Tuesday, but Steichen told reporters after the session that Taylor was not there because he was rehabbing his ankle.
“This is part of his rehab process. If you guys don’t see him out here, it’s part of his rehab,” Steichen said, according to Dave Calabro of WTHR.
Taylor and the Colts have been locked in a public spat for the last month that culminated in the player reportedly requesting a trade. Taylor also reportedly suffered a back injury while away from the team this offseason, which could lead the Colts to place him on the non-football injury list, though Taylor denied that report.
Steichen said Tuesday that Taylor is currently recovering from an ankle injury.
“He’s rehabbing his ankle and, like I said, once the medical staff clears him and he’s 100%, he’ll be out at practice,” Steichen noted.
Taylor is away from the facility to do his rehab and is expected to be absent for “a bit,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. Steichen declined to confirm whether the running back was in the building.
The Colts coach added that he thinks Taylor is in a “good spot” with his recovery and would like to see him on the field at some point during training camp.
The conflict between Taylor and the Colts franchise started when owner Jim Irsay tweeted that agents were selling “bad faith” regarding the running back market. Taylor’s agent responded: “Bad faith is not paying your top offensive player.”
The 24-year-old back is in the last year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to earn a base salary of $4.3 million, per Spotrac. Taylor has produced 3,841 rushing yards across three seasons.
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