Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor is denying a report that said he was dealing with a non-football-related back injury that could cost him pay this season.
“Never had a back pain. Never reported back pain,” Taylor wrote on Twitter. “Not sure who ‘sources’ are, but find new ones.”
Earlier Sunday, ESPN’s Colts insider Stephen Holder — citing a league source — reported that Taylor had “reported back pain during his pre-training camp physical that was deemed to be from an injury that was not sustained while playing for Indianapolis.”
Holder added that the injury could force the Colts to place Taylor on the non-football injury list, which could result in lost salary.
Taylor opened training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list and is continuing to recover from off-season ankle surgery.
On Saturday, reports surfaced that the former rushing-yard leader had requested a trade from the Colts after contract talks between the two sides stalled. Colts owner Jim Irsay, however, has said the team plans to retain Taylor for this season before the 24-year-old becomes a free agent next spring.
“We’re looking forward to a great season, hoping that Jonathan’s a big part of that and I think we had a good conversation,” Irsay said Saturday.