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          Colts place RB Jonathan Taylor on active/PUP list to open camp

          • Stephen Holder, ESPNJul 25, 2023, 10:44 PM
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              Stephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and NFL at large. Stephen finished first place in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition, and he is a previous top-10 winner in explanatory journalism in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest. He has chronicled the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005-2013 and the Colts since 2013. He has previously worked for the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.

          WESTFIELD, Ind. -- Indianapolis Colts All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list after reporting for training camp on Tuesday, sidelining him during the team's practices until he is moved to the active roster.

          The move comes after Taylor's ankle surgery earlier this offseason to address a recurring issue that limited Taylor to 11 games in 2022. One Colts source indicated his stay on the PUP list could be brief, saying, "it shouldn't be long."

          But the transaction was a bit of a surprise, coming hours after general manager Chris Ballard had announced that two other players -- veteran defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis and rookie tight end Will Mallory -- would begin camp on PUP. Taylor was not mentioned. And just a few weeks ago, Colts owner Jim Irsay said in an interview with "The Pat McAfee Show" that Taylor was "healed up."

          The news also comes against a backdrop of Taylor being among the group of elite running backs around the league who have publicly taken a stance against what they perceive as unfair treatment of the position in contract negotiations. Taylor -- who is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is eligible for an extension -- is seeking a new contract from the Colts but negotiations have seemingly not progressed. Last month, Taylor uncharacteristically went public with his frustrations, saying, "You just want to be treated fairly. Not even treated fairly. You just want to be appreciated for what you bring to the team."

          On Tuesday, Ballard declined to comment specifically on the state of the contract talks, but he did say the Colts have demonstrated their willingness to extend their star players with historic contracts while also suggesting that the Colts, perhaps, aren't in a hurry to extend Taylor.

          "Our history's really good," he said. "But, saying that, we're coming off a four-win season, we have a new coaching staff, so we'll kind of let it play out as it does and make those decisions when we need to make those decisions."

          Taylor has averaged 1,280 rushing yards in his three NFL seasons, with a league-high 1,811 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021.