Colts' Jonathan Taylor says his new deal a win for all NFL RBs - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor's priority in his push for a new contract with the Indianapolis Colts was always himself. But it isn't lost on the All-Pro running back that his new deal also is a win for other players at his position.

Taylor — one day after agreeing to a new three-year, $42 million contract that ended his acrimonious standoff with the Colts — acknowledged that his deal is a bit of a reversal of recent trends at his position.

«I definitely think it is [a shift],» Taylor said. «Anytime a running back can go out there and perform but also have some security, it just shows that running backs are essential.»

As Taylor has referenced in the past, it has been a difficult time to be an elite running back in the NFL. Players like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs lost their bids to secure long-term deals in the offseason. But the Colts, Taylor said, provided a vivid example of the position's value on Sunday. With Taylor playing a limited role in his first game since being activated from the physically unable to perform list, the Colts rode running back Zack Moss to defeat the Tennessee Titans 23-16.

Moss rushed for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns, a performance highlighted by a career-long 56-yard run in the first quarter. The win came in spite of the loss of starting quarterback Anthony Richardson to a right shoulder injury in the second quarter.

«Just being able to lean on [Moss] in order to come out with the win,» Taylor said, «I mean that last drive, I think we got the ball with like eight minutes, 55 seconds left.»

The Colts ripped off a 14-play, 84-yard drive that was capped by a 28-yard Matt Gay field goal to ice the game. Moss was responsible for 63 total yards on the possession, including a