Shive

You don't have to, but all of the local beat writers have been saying that its not just the contract and that the issues run deeper and further back than this past spring. I imagine the truth will eventually come out, but for now, we'll all be believing the narrative that makes sense for us.

The assertions I've seen have been that Saturday pressured Taylor into playing when he wasn't ready, Taylor ended up playing (nobody made him, but guilt tripping someone into doing something is a real thing), made his ankle worse, then when he wanted to start talking contract extension, the same team says "sorry, not with your hurt ankle". That's paraphrasing a bit, but in essence that's where this all started. Saturday trying to get some wins to get the full-time job... Its not verified fact, but from an individual that has been consistent with sources inside the organization. I think it also explains why things escalated the way they did.

He technically can be traded while on PUP, but since he'd be out the first 4 games, he would take up an active roster spot until he could play, which lessens the chance another team would want to trade for him while on the PUP. I think she was referring to a prior tweet about the Colts potentially being able to use the "conduct detrimental to the team" hammer if Taylor doesn't get a physical by the end of the 4 weeks on PUP.

Pride? Bad advice? His camp pretty much got their bluff called and has no leverage at all right now. I'm hoping the next 4ish weeks on PUP will give him some time to reflect and make a decision on how he wants to proceed. I think that's the basics of it for sure, but I think the tactics and PR along the way have largely been driven by his agent.

He chose the agent, but I also believe part of that was the agent's connection to one of his teammates that just got a large contract. If he wasn't satisfied with the agent he had, why not switch to one that your friend trusts and you saw get a sizeable contract for. The message he was most likely being told was "even with the injury, you're one of the top RBs in the league and deserve to be paid like one with a market-setting contract". That would be enough for a lot of people in that position.

Some people take their sports teams personally and want to be able to justify their personal frustration/hatred towards a player. I think that narrative is just a way for people to justify blaming solely JT in this whole thing. He would have to be a legitimate sociopath to be able to fake it consistently for years. There wasn't the faintest whisper of an attitude issue with JT, even in college.

I don't think that's exactly true. With the abrupt 180 immediately after changing agents, I can't help but believe he's the one mostly responsible for this. Since he was already Leonard's agent, there's an easier buy-in for JT having seen this agent get his buddy the contract he did. Not to mention that there's a lot of power in creating an "us vs them" scenario. Again, JT is a smart guy, but smart people aren't immune from being manipulated.

If he's on PUP at the end of week 6, his contract gets tolled, meaning he starts the next season with the same number of years left on his rookie contract. The best thing JT can do at this point is suck up his pride, report when healthy, and ball out to earn a new contract. The way he's headed could spell the end of his career, or at least ruin any chance he has at landing a sizeable contract.

I still wonder if this plays out the same way if that RB call never happens, although the switch in agent seems to have been the main catalyst. JT is a really intelligent guy and sometimes even the smartest people can get manipulated by hearing someone tell them what they want to hear.

If he's on PUP all season, it tolls his season accrual, which means even longer before he's an UFA. I believe so by Colts medical staff, which is how we were able to place him on the PUP list to begin with.

I was just about to post that.

GIFs you can hear....lol

Last year they drafted James Cook in the 2nd round. They actually have a solid RB room with him, Damien Harris, and Hines (currently injured).

I was just looking at their cap situation and it definitely doesn't look like a team able to give JT the contract he wants.

I feel like every post I've seen from you recently is just roasting Holder about the JT stuff. We get it. No idea on Moss and Wilkins recently signed with the Browns.

I think he was signed off of our PS.

Definitely noticed Pittman talking trash to his BFF Patmon when Dez caught that 2nd pass on the sideline.

It looked like there was a handful of defenders around the receiver too. Really well placed ball for sure.

He needs to stay out the rest of the game.

I think what we're seeing is guys trying too hard to prove themselves as returners instead of making the smart decision. As long as it doesn't leak into the regular season, it's not a big deal. But yea, ST has not played great today. Add to it that he took the wrong path on the wheel. He went under, which immediately put him 3-4 steps behind the receiver. Had he played it over top, he would have been right there with him.

Gotta stay over top on a wheel route..

I think Rush will end up the best of the 3 rookies.