Running back Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts has been negotiating with the team over a contract extension. With only one year left on his current deal, he will become an unrestricted free agent if the two sides can't reach an agreement.

"Specifically speaking for the running back position, I can just speak firsthand, we do a lot," Taylor said. "You just want to be treated fairly."

Today's NFL doesn't value running backs as much as it used to. The biggest contract for this position belongs to Christian McCaffrey (four-year, $64 million), followed by Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints (five-year, $75 million).

Meanwhile, star running backs like Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings and Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants are both struggling to sign new deals. The Vikings waived Cook in spite of his four straight Pro Bowl selections and 1,000-yard seasons. Barkley refused to sign the franchise tag placed on him after rushing for 1,650 yards for the Giants in the regular season and scoring two touchdowns in their first playoff win since 2011.

"You see why guys request trades," Taylor said. "They just want to feel valued by not only their coaches, their teammates, but the organization as well."

Taylor, 24, is younger than both McCaffrey (27) and Kamara (28). Though he only made 11 appearances for the Colts last season because of injuries, he still rushed for 861 yards and scored four touchdowns with 192 carries. His best performance happened in the 2021 campaign, when he produced 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns.

By contrast, McCaffrey had 1,139 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games for the 49ers last season; Kamara got 897 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. The league's rushing yards leader, rookie Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders, rushed 1,653 yards and had 12 touchdowns.

Taylor's weakness is catching the pass, especially on third downs. McCaffery completed 61 third-down catches for 633 yards in 48 games. Kamara registered 56 third-down catches for 369 yards. Taylor only had 25 third-down catches for 188 yards in 43 games, according to The Athletic.

The Colts drafted an athletic quarterback, Anthony Ricardson from the University of Florida, with the fourth pick this year. He can make a sharp pair with Taylor on the field. The question is for how long, because Richardson will stay in the team for at least five years with his rookie contract and a fifth-year team option. Taylor wants a long-term deal with a salary he can accept.