WESTFIELD, Ind. -- If you want to know about an NFL team's priorities, it can be instructive to simply examine where it spends its money.
For the Indianapolis Colts, their 2026 offseason spending was directed toward the pieces of their roster that represent their biggest reasons for optimism.
In the spring, Indianapolis signed receiver and deep threat extraordinaire Alec Pierce to a four-year, $116 million deal. Days later, the Colts agreed to a new contract with rejuvenated quarterback Daniel Jones at two years for $88 million.
And, on Thursday, the Colts locked up another critical offensive piece, with big-play running back Jonathan Taylor agreeing to terms on a two-year extension worth $44 million. The contract is the third-largest deal for a running back in NFL history.
Their philosophy isn't difficult to decipher.
In Weeks 1 through 10 of 2025, the Colts were 8-2 and playing at a level rarely seen even when Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning starred for the team. Indianapolis led the NFL in offensive expected points added (103.8), points per game (32.1), yards per game (396.9) and yards per play (6.4) before falling off a proverbial cliff late in the season.
They had seemingly perfected a formula with proven success in the NFL: Running an efficient passing game with Jones at the controls, mixing in explosive deep shots to Pierce, who led the NFL in yards per catch, then allowing Taylor to bludgeon defenders until they inevitably yielded one of his breakaway runs.
Likewise, the Colts were running away from opponents, posting a league-high 11.5-point margin per game.
But a seven-game losing streak to end the season represented a stunning unraveling fueled by a season-ending injury to Jones and the loss of key defensive players.
The Colts, however, are holding out hope they can recapture who they were before that collapse. And in their estimation, they will do that by doubling down on their offensive stars.
"What we saw in that first half is we were, in a record way, dominating offensively," principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said after the season.
That formula likely would not have worked had any of those pieces been missing. That is why, even amid a season that is seen as make-or-break for the Colts -- with coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard considered to be on the hot seat and several veteran players facing uncertain futures -- locking up Taylor proved to be a priority.
Without Taylor in the backfield, Jones' play-action passing would be much less potent. Without Taylor, defenses would be more comfortable dropping defenders into coverage to safeguard themselves against Pierce's speed. Without Taylor, linebackers might've been more likely to focus on rookie tight end Tyler Warren, who was dominating the middle of the field.
So much could have been different if not for Taylor, already the second-leading rusher in Colts history behind Hall of Fame back Edgerrin James. Even in an era when running backs are often taken for granted, Taylor is the piece that made it all come together.
His ability to turn 3-yard rushes into 5-yard gains, and to make mere chunk plays into game-breaking runs that broke opponents proved to be the Colts' secret sauce.
When Taylor got bottled up on an inside run against the Atlanta Falcons last season in Week 10, then somehow bounced outside for an 83-yard touchdown, it left even his teammates in awe. The play was all Taylor.
"He's our home run hitter," former Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin marveled afterward. "He's our knockout punch. He's the best weapon in the league."
Taylor is among a group of backs who believe they are changing perceptions of the position as a collective afterthought. Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and others are making the NFL rethink its attitudes toward running backs.
For the Colts, there is no attitude adjustment necessary. They demonstrated Thursday just how important Taylor is to their offensive formula.