The Indianapolis Colts are now willing to trade Jonathan Taylor, Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday, and talks with other teams are active and ongoing. The Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks are among the teams that have shown at least some interest in the star running back, they reported. For now, Taylor is still a Colt, and coach Shane Steichen said on Friday that he will play on Sunday at Jacksonville.
Steichen was first asked about wide receiver Josh Downs, who asked for a trade this week. “He’s ready to go,” Steichen said. “We’re expecting for him to be at his best on Sunday.” Asked if the same goes for Taylor, he said: “Yep, same for JT.”
What the Colts want for Taylor
According to Schefter, Indianapolis has already received at least one offer that includes a second-round pick plus more. Tom Pelissero reported that the Colts turned down an offer of a second-round pick and another draft pick. The Colts would look for a return like the one the Carolina Panthers got from the San Francisco 49ers for Christian McCaffrey in 2022: second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks. Jonathan Jones reported that the Giants and the Vikings are seen as the favorites. Stephen Holder reported that the Colts are taking calls rather than shopping Taylor, and that no deal was close as of Saturday morning.
Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon met with Taylor this week, and the team would still prefer to keep him as part of its rebuild, Schefter reported. Taylor, 27, signed a two-year, $44 million extension in August. He is under contract for $15 million in 2027 and $9.46 million in 2028, and the Colts already paid his $15 million signing bonus, which makes him more attractive to a team trading for him. The trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10.
“Whether you like it or not, the day may come”
Taylor has 587 rushing yards on 140 carries this season, and his eight rushing touchdowns are tied with Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen and Javonte Williams for the NFL lead. He is second in Colts history with 8,185 rushing yards, behind Hall of Famer Edgerrin James (9,226), and holds the team record with 77 rushing touchdowns.
On Thursday, Taylor said he had not asked for a trade and was “proud to wear the horseshoe.” He also said he understands how the business works. “You know that the day always comes, you know, for many players, whether you like it or not, the day may come,” he said. “You may get lucky enough to stay somewhere forever, but you understand the business side of it.” His approach is to let his play speak for him. “Your best resume is your film,” Taylor said, “and how you treat people in the building.”
Steichen: “early on in the week it was tough”
The 2-5 Colts traded guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco on Tuesday. Steichen said the trades hit the team hard at first. “I think early on in the week it was tough, losing the cornerstones of our football team,” he said. “But I think as the week went on, guys were prepared the right way, get back into the rhythm and the flow of things.”
He said his message to Downs was simple: “Hey, you’re a professional,” and “you’re on this football team.” Asked what the last week has been like for him as a head coach, Steichen said: “It’s been unique, but I think that’s where your leadership’s got to show up and keep the guys committed and connected through this process, because there’s a lot of things, you know, sometimes that you can’t control in this league, and you’ve got to be professional about it.”
The Colts play the 4-2 Jaguars on Sunday, November 1, at 1:00 p.m. ET, which is 8:00 p.m. in Cairo.
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