7 min read
Major Takeaways
- Indianapolis is now open to trading Jonathan Taylor, a full reversal after weeks of insisting the star running back would stay.
- Talks with multiple teams are active and ongoing ahead of the November 10 trade deadline.
- Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota, the New York Giants and Seattle have all shown interest in Taylor.
- Indianapolis wants a four pick package like the one San Francisco paid for Christian McCaffrey in 2022, and the Colts already turned down an offer built around a 2027 second round pick.
- Taylor has 587 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in seven games, and his eight rushing scores are tied for the league lead.
The Indianapolis Colts spent weeks telling the league that Jonathan Taylor was not going anywhere. On Saturday morning, that answer changed.
Indianapolis is now open to trading its star running back. Multiple teams have reached out, and the talks are described as active and ongoing.
The November 10 deadline is ten days away. The face of the franchise is suddenly, truly, in play.
1. A Reversal Weeks in the Making
The Colts sit at 2 and 5, and the teardown is already well underway. General manager Chris Ballard was fired, and the front office changed course on the roster.
This week, Indianapolis traded guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco. Our coverage of that one day roster shakeup detailed how quickly the foundation cracked.
The combined return for Nelson and Buckner was modest. Indianapolis added a 2027 third round pick, a 2027 fourth round pick and a 2028 fifth round pick.
As recently as October 27, reporting around the team said owner Carlie Irsay Gordon did not want Taylor traded. She then met with Taylor this week for a long conversation about their futures.
The club still says it would prefer Taylor to stay and be part of the rebuild. But preference is not policy, and the door is open now.
2. Jonathan Taylor Is Still Producing Like a Star
Whoever calls Indianapolis is not buying a name. They are buying production that has held up even as the team around Taylor fell apart.
Taylor has 587 rushing yards on 140 carries in seven games. His eight rushing touchdowns are tied for the league lead.
He averages 83.9 rushing yards per game, fifth best in the league. He has added 17 catches for 178 receiving yards.
His 17 runs of 10 or more yards rank fourth among running backs. He has forced 16 missed tackles this season.
All of that came behind an offensive line that just lost Nelson, the guard who paved so many of his best running lanes.
The career resume backs the price tag. Taylor was a second round pick in 2020 and has spent his whole career in Indianapolis.
He is a three time Pro Bowl selection with one first team All Pro honor. Last season he ranked third in the league in scrimmage yards at 1,963.
He also led the league in scrimmage touchdowns last season with 20. He now sits 1,041 yards behind Edgerrin James for the franchise rushing record.
3. The Asking Price Is Set High
Indianapolis is not giving Taylor away. The Colts want a package like the one San Francisco sent Carolina for Christian McCaffrey in 2022.
That deal carried four draft picks. San Francisco paid second, third and fourth round picks in 2023 plus a fifth round pick in 2024.
The market has already tested the floor. Indianapolis turned down an offer built around a 2027 second round pick plus another selection.
The contract makes a deal easy to build. Taylor signed a two year extension worth 44 million dollars in August.
He is under contract through 2028 at salaries a contender can absorb. Indianapolis has already paid his 15 million dollar signing bonus.
The Colts also need the picks. They sent their 2027 first round pick to the New York Jets in the Sauce Gardner trade last November.
That traded away pick currently projects near the top of the first round. A Taylor haul is the best route Indianapolis has to restock.
4. Five Teams Are Already Circling
Five teams have shown at least some interest. Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota, the New York Giants and Seattle are all in the conversation.
Minnesota is the last unbeaten team in the league, yet its offense has leaned on Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Taylor would change that attack overnight.
Seattle already did business with Indianapolis this week in the Nelson trade. Its ground game has not been the same since Kenneth Walker III left for Kansas City in free agency.
Denver is 5 and 2 with a rushing attack ranked near the bottom of the league. New York has a ground game built for a workhorse, and its coach won big with Derrick Henry in Baltimore.
Minnesota and New York are widely viewed as the early favorites. Green Bay has Josh Jacobs back in the fold, yet the Packers still picked up the phone.
5. Taylor Saw This Coming
Taylor addressed his future with reporters on Thursday, and his words read differently now. He knew the business side was closing in.
“I haven’t heard anything,” Taylor said. “I can’t control that. Obviously, you guys know that I’m always proud to wear the horseshoe. I’m always proud to be here.”
“But obviously, circumstances may cause otherwise,” he added. “Hopefully that day may not come, but I can’t control that.”
He also offered the line that sums up life for a star back on a rebuilding team. “For many players, whether you like it or not, the day may come.”
Head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that Taylor has not requested a trade. Wide receiver Josh Downs has made that request, but Taylor has not.
Taylor is expected to play Sunday at Jacksonville. It could be a farewell in a Colts uniform, or proof the price was never met.
6. What This Means for Black Stars at Running Back
The league keeps telling running backs they are replaceable. Then a great one hits the market, and contenders line up with four pick offers.
Taylor is one of the premier Black running backs of his era. He carried a franchise through thin years and produced behind a line the team just dismantled.
The McCaffrey comparison tells the truth about value. When a back can run, catch and carry an offense, the market pays like he matters.
Taylor is 27, in his prime, and signed through 2028. He is the rare back positioned to beat the market that usually beats backs down.
His prime years should be spent chasing a title, not carrying a rebuild. The next ten days will decide where that chase happens.
Follow every move before the deadline in our Football coverage and across the Sports section.
