Getty Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.
The Green Bay Packers ended up keeping three running backs on their initial 53-man roster for the 2023 season, a decision that was something of a surprise with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon forming a potent backfield duo.
Turns out, Brian Gutekunst tried to do something a whole lot wilder.
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the Packers had talks with the Indianapolis Colts about a potential trade for disgruntled All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor and showed “legitimate interest in acquiring him” ahead of the 53-man roster cut deadline.
Holder’s report also confirmed that the Packers were, in fact, the mystery second team who numerous insiders had said was in talks with the Colts about a possible trade for Taylor along with the Miami Dolphins. According to Sports Illustrated’s Dolphins insider, Omar Kelly, that team had been “working under a cloak of secrecy because it has an established tailback who potentially could be included in a trade for Taylor.”
In other words, the implication of the two reports is that the Packers were not only having serious trade discussions centered around Taylor but also considering the possibility of shipping either Jones or Dillon to the Colts as part of the compensation.
Holder Indicates There’s ‘Still Trade Interest’ in Taylor
The anticipation of a blockbuster trade for Taylor going down before the cut deadline fizzled out when the Colts’ provided deadline of 4 p.m. ET on August 29 passed without a deal materializing. Without an acceptable deal, they moved forward and placed Taylor on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list in a move that requires he miss at least the first four games of the 2023 season, even if he ends up getting traded later on.
As Holder — who has been one of the top inside sources for all things involving Taylor and his deteriorating relationship with the Colts –reminded, though, the real deadline for the Colts to move Taylor is the NFL’s trade deadline on October 31 and an interested team could complete a deal for him any time between now and then.
“A source told ESPN that there is still trade interest in Taylor and the All-Pro would still welcome a trade,” Holder wrote.
Taylor was selected at No. 41 overall in the second round of the 2020 draft, coming off the board 21 picks before the Packers selected Dillon. While Dillon has gone on to be a steady No. 2 back alongside Jones over his first three seasons, Taylor has bloomed into a superstar workhorse for the Colts who led the league in rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18) during the 2021 season and earned first-team All-Pro honors.
What Could Packers Trade for Taylor Look Like?
The Packers’ interest in Taylor is surprising, but it is not impossible to see what they might have been thinking when trying to plan for their long-term future.
Dillon is entering the final year of his rookie contract, but it is unclear if his 1,573 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rusher over the past two seasons have been enough to persuade the Packers to extend him. Then, there’s Jones, a star in his own right who agreed to take a $5 million pay cut to remain with the Packers for the 2023 season. He will now only cost about $8.19 million against the cap this year, but nothing has changed about his $11.1 million base salary or $17.17 million overall cap hit for the 2024 season.
Whether it is Dillon or Jones who hits the road, it seems unlikely the Packers will want to pay both of them to stick around in 2025 with $26.6 million in projected cap space. So in the process of planning for the future, it makes sense they would kick the tires on potentially making a move now for a younger superstar who is unexpectedly available.
Neither Holder nor Kelly indicated any specific trade compensation that was offered to the Colts for Taylor, aside from Holder noting that the Dolphins discussed packages that included picks and players. The Colts were originally asking for a first-round pick in exchange for their All-Pro rusher, though, so it would make sense that the Packers would have needed to offer something substantial if they were serious about it.
An NFL executive suggested to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated that a reasonable trade package could have been Dillon and a second-round pick. They do currently hold both their own and the New York Jets’ second-round picks for 2024, but the Jets’ pick is conditional and could upgrade to a first-rounder if Aaron Rodgers played 65% of snaps for them in the upcoming season. Still, a pair of first-rounders and Taylor is a nice exchange if they aren’t convinced they will be looking to extend Dillon next year.