The Cincinnati Bengals have emerged as a potential suitor for Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Indianapolis has set a hefty asking price, which would make a trade a rare move for a Bengals organization that has historically avoided major midseason deals.
However, Cincinnati sits at 5-2, with the AFC North wide open and the running game standing out as the team’s only glaring weakness. That has many believing the Bengals should push their chips to the center of the table.
Cris Collinsworth Has Intriguing Taylor Message for Bengals
One person who believes Cincinnati should make the Colts an offer they can’t refuse is former Cincinnati wide receiver and current NBC Sports announcer Cris Collinsworth.
“Jonathan Taylor is certainly one of those guys who sounds like he’s going to be on the move,” Collinsworth said on his weekly Pro Football Focus show with his son, Jac.
Jac quickly jumped in and said, “If you’re Cincinnati in this window, you’re already all chips in, right?”
Collinsworth responded, “With what Jeffrey Simmons did in that game the other day for the Chicago Bears, who can match that? Can you do it with the guys you currently have on your roster, or are you now forced to do what the Bears did, what San Francisco did, what Seattle did, which is go out and fix that glaring hole on your football team?”
The Bengals have built up their defense and offensive line… is it time to trade for Jonathan Taylor for a Super Bowl run? đ§ | @JacCollinsworth @CollinsworthPFF https://t.co/XHNUTQeY2l
â PFF (@PFF) November 3, 2026
What Would Taylor Cost the Bengals?
At this point, Cincinnati knows what it might have to give up to land Taylor. However, unlike other teams, the Bengals could put together an intriguing offer that involves a potential player.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts are eyeing an offer similar to what the San Francisco 49ers gave the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey back in 2022.
That package included second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks in exchange for McCaffrey.
While Cincinnati could offer a similar package, there is a scenario in which the Bengals try to include a player like running back Chase Brown to limit the number of picks they’d have to give up. Brown is younger and cheaper than Taylor, and he still has plenty of upside in a higher-usage role.
The Bengals would probably still have to include a second-round pick, but if they could offer two picks and Brown instead of four picks, that could be an intriguing package for both sides.
Cris Collinsworth Has Intriguing Jonathan Taylor Message for Cincinnati Bengals