The Indianapolis Colts have made sure that NFL insiders know that they’ve already received a specific, pretty solid trade offer for superstar running back Jonathan Taylor.
There’s at least a little question, though, of whether the Colts might actually be bluffing.
There’s nothing in doubt about the fact that Taylor is a potential trade candidate. Yes, he’s under contract through 2028, but the Colts are clearly exploring what they could get in return for him as they begin a rebuild.
Taylor likely should bring back multiple draft picks in a deal, and with the Colts having given up draft picks in trades in recent seasons, recouping some of that value could be meaningful in Indianapolis.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. Central), so whatever happens, the football world will know the conclusion soon enough.
But on at least one aspect, it’s not exactly affirmed that the Colts are getting all the interest they say they are.
Colts Might Be Bluffing
The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones wrote a new article on Saturday in which he reported a lot of information about the NFL’s trade rumors.
One paragraph in particular from Jones was fascinating:
“The rumor late last week was the Colts had rejected an offer of a second- and a fifth-round pick from a team. Some sources thought that was bunk considering it was close to the Christian McCaffrey haul and was for a runner who will be 28 in January.”
In this case, the idea that the offer was “bunk” is to say that it wasn’t real, that the Colts had made up the fact that they had received such an offer.
That hasn’t seemed to be reported by other insiders, so it’s hard to say for sure — but it’s a fascinating possibility raised by Jones.
Why Colts Would Lie
If the Colts made up the price they’ve already been offered — and it’s not confirmed whether they have or not — it would be to raise the bidding.
It’s kind of like setting up a fake bid in an auction in the hopes that someone will then offer more.
Teams have ways of learning whether such things are real or not, but certain connections are stronger than others, and sometimes such a circumstance may not be totally clear from the outside. Another team might go for the bait of the supposed offer, whether it’s real or not.
The actual price Taylor goes for in a trade, if he is traded, will end up telling a lot of the story.
Colts Might Be Bluffing on Jonathan Taylor Trade Offer