After a tumultuous offseason that included a public and private feud over his contract and health, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor told reporters Thursday that he's finally healthy and ready to play, while mostly avoiding questions about his future with the team.
"It feels really good to be healthy," Taylor said to open his press conference, when asked if he desires a trade. "The main goal was to be healthy ... to be able to do what I love, which is to play football. There's been a lot of things said and done, but at the end of the day, the No. 1 goal for everybody was to get me healthy, and I think everybody was on the same page with that."
Taylor, who was recently designated to return from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, missed the Colts' first four games while recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Indianapolis had reportedly granted him permission to seek a trade prior to keeping him on PUP to open the year, after a summer in which he was in and out of training camp while failing to negotiate a new deal.
Taylor declined to address his contract, which runs through 2023, on Thursday, while downplaying a desire to play elsewhere.
"If somebody wasn't committed, they wouldn't be here," he said.
Pressed to clarify if he wants to remain with the Colts long-term, Taylor said only that he's "here right now" and has a responsibility to "take care of my teammates."
"What this city needs is a championship," he added, "and that's what I'm here to do."
The former second-round draft pick, who's two years removed from an NFL-leading 1,800-yard rushing campaign, is expected to be activated to the Colts' game-day roster in the near future. It's possible Indy could still field trade offers ahead of the in-season Oct. 31 deadline, but all signs now point to Taylor playing out his rookie deal with the Colts.
