On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Atlanta Falcons at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
At 5-2, the Bengals are firmly in the AFC North division race. They have now won three consecutive games; however, Cincinnati’s last two games have featured slow starts and a massive scare against the one-win Tennessee Titans.
Offensively, Cincinnati has relied on its passing game more than any other NFL team. They are currently first in the NFL in passing yards per game.
One potential name that could help Cincinnati have a more balanced offense is Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who the Bengals have expressed interest in adding in a blockbuster trade.
Unfortunately, at this moment, a move appears complicated for Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bengals Get New Information on Potential Jonathan Taylor Trade
In some cases when a player is bound to be traded, like the Arizona Cardinals trading Marvin Harrison Jr. earlier this year, the team opts to have them sit out their game that week in order to avoid an injury that would nullify the potential trade.
Instead, Indianapolis continues to operate as if it will not trade Jonathan Taylor, as it appears that he will once again suit up for the Colts in Week 9. Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen was asked why the team has continued playing running back Jonathan Taylor despite the trade speculation. Steichen replied, “I think there’s a lot of stuff out there right now. He’s on our football team, and he’s excited for this opportunity to go play. He wants to go win this game.”
Additionally, ESPN’s Dan Graziano confirmed that the Colts have maintained their stance that they don’t need to move the running back. Graziano wrote: “The Colts are still asking for a lot for RB Jonathan Taylor and taking the stance that they don’t need to move him. Unlike the recently traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, Taylor is not in the final year of his contract. He’s 27 years old and could absolutely be a part of Indy’s future if someone doesn’t give the Colts the draft capital they’re seeking. I do get the sense, though, that enough teams are interested in Taylor that it’s too soon for the Colts to think about lowering their demands.”
Complications for Cincinnati
Graziano also added that he expected a trade to happen but did not predict that Taylor would go to the Bengals, writing: “I would guess he gets traded, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was the Giants who made that move.”
It appears that Taylor’s price point is more than what Cincinnati currently has to offer.
Bengals on SI’s Zach Pressnell wrote: “There’s a lot of speculation going around that the Colts will demand a first-round pick in return for their generational running back, but it’s hard to imagine any team giving up that kind of value in a draft pick for Taylor.
Now, it could be different with the Bengals, as they could finish near the top of the league, which would put their first-round selection around the 30th pick.
The other comparison for the Colts is the Christian McCaffrey trade that sent the star running back from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a second, third, fourth, and fifth-round pick.
If that’s the ask, the Bengals might need to be out of the running.”
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