by Kevin Hickey
Through the first month of the season, the Indianapolis Colts relied on running back Zack Moss to fill the shoes of a superstar, and now he’s set to hit the free-agent market during the 2024 offseason.
As the early-season drama surrounding Jonathan Taylor and the Colts front office raged on, Moss stepped up in a big way for the first five weeks as the starting running back.
Even following Taylor’s return to his normal role as the starter during the second half of the season, Moss is open to a return to the Colts.
“If I do come back here,” Moss said via Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star. “It would be great.”
Entering Week 6 of the regular season, Moss’ 466 rushing yards trailed only Christian McCaffrey (553) for the league lead. In fact, Moss ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards (615) through the first nine weeks of the season, which was done despite Taylor having returned in Week 5.
Whether Moss will be looking for a bigger paycheck on his second NFL contract is likely what will be the difference in him staying or leaving with the Colts.
The contract extension Taylor signed during the regular season is a fair deal for both sides, and the fact that Anthony Richardson is on a rookie deal makes contracts a bit more flexible. But it remains to be seen how much the Colts want to invest in the running back room.
Moss also will be entering a free-agent market that is full of top-tier names such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Austin Ekeler and D’Andre Swift to name a few. Finding a starting role may not be so easy.
With that said, Moss certainly has earned a role either with the Colts or another team. He worked extremely well in the Colts’ RPO system and proved to be a capable one-cut back in a zone-blocking scheme.
Spotrac currently has Moss’ market value projected at $4.6 million per year on a two-year deal. In 2023, that would have ranked 17th among all NFL running backs.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Moss, but a return to the Colts wouldn’t be a bad move as long as the money is right for both sides.
Originally posted on coltswire.usatoday.com