Indianapolis Colts Sign Kenyan Drake Amid Uncertainty Over Jonathan Taylor’s Future
The Indianapolis Colts have made a significant move by signing veteran running back Kenyan Drake, as confirmed by his agents on social media. The team announced the signing on Saturday, bolstering their backfield amid uncertainty over Jonathan Taylor’s future.
With Taylor’s situation still in flux, the Colts decided to bring in the experienced Drake, who will be playing for his fourth team in four seasons. Drake expressed his enthusiasm about joining the Colts and spoke about his dedication to the game.
“Playing this game that I love. I worked my ass off this offseason, with no team,” Drake disclosed to CBS Sports HQ’s Josina Anderson. “Got a new fire under me.”
Taylor, the rushing champion in 2019, has been absent from team practices after team owner Jim Irsay stated that he would not extend Taylor’s contract before the start of the season. Taylor is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is set to receive a base salary of $4.3 million and a signing bonus of $813,482 for the 2023 season. However, his market value indicates an annual salary of over $13 million, according to Spotrac.
Drake, drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, spent the majority of his early career with the Miami Dolphins before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. He then joined the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. Despite playing for multiple teams in a short span, Drake showcased his versatility by achieving over 1,000 all-purpose yards each year from 2018 to 2020.
In his standout year with the Cardinals in 2020, Drake set career highs with 955 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He has also proven to be a reliable receiver with 199 career receptions and seven touchdown receptions. Unfortunately, Drake’s 2021 season was cut short due to a broken right ankle.
Drake briefly joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2022, where he started five games and accumulated 482 rushing yards and four touchdowns. With his impressive performance and an average of 4.4 yards per carry, Drake showed his value on the field. Notably, he had a remarkable game against the New York Giants in Week 6, with 119 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries.
Now, Drake will join an Indianapolis Colts offense that already features Taylor and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. Richardson has impressed his teammates, including Colts guard Quenton Nelson, with his work ethic and poise in the huddle.
“The growth I’ve seen from OTAs until now, you could tell that in the offseason he was at home… studying, he was working on calling the plays in the huddle,” Nelson said about Richardson’s progress.
The addition of Drake brings depth and experience to the Colts’ running back position, providing an insurance policy if Taylor’s contract situation remains unresolved. With a talented rookie quarterback and a dynamic backfield, the Colts are building a formidable offense for the upcoming season.