So much time is spent considering what could happen before the NFL trade deadline that it’s not often you stop to consider the reality — teams are already making calls and already making offers.
That includes to the Indianapolis Colts about their superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, who is the biggest name remaining potentially available for the Nov. 10 trading deadline.
It’s not a given Taylor is traded, because he has two years remaining on his contract. He’s not a free agent until after the 2028 season.
But the Colts appear to be hurtling toward a rebuild, and a Taylor trade would make a lot of sense in that context. A running back can only do so much on an otherwise-overmatched team.
And with all that in mind, it turns out the Colts already at least have one offer on the table for Taylor, an interesting bit of news that emerged on Tuesday.
Jonathan Taylor Trade Offer
The Colts already have an offer for Taylor, ESPN’s Stephen Holder wrote in a new article on Tuesday.
This is what Holder wrote pertaining to an offer being on the table:
“The Colts’ decision to trade two first-round choices to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner last year continues to reverberate in Indy. And the team’s best remaining asset is Taylor. Already, the Colts have been offered a package that included a second-round pick and a later-round pick for Taylor, according to a source.”
Most indications have been that it’s unlikely the Colts fetch a first-rounder for Taylor, so the fact that Indy has already been offered a second-round pick is notable.
There’s been some speculation that the Colts want the package that the Panthers got in 2022 for Christian McCaffrey from the 49ers, which was a pick each in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds.
Holder’s reporting seems to indicate that the current offer is less than that — but there’s a week to go, so the bidding could get higher at some point.
ESPN Reveals Trade Logic
Holder also breaks down more about why the Colts might trade Taylor now.
This was a particularly insightful paragraph from the Colts beat writer:
“If this winds up being a Miami Dolphins-style teardown, the Colts are looking at an uncompetitive season in 2027. That means, optimistically, 2028 is their target year to rebound. By that time, Taylor will be 29½ years old with a significant amount of wear and tear on his body.”
It would be painful for the Colts if the next two years are a struggle and they never cash in on Taylor. That’s the big reason they’re considering it now.
And if the offers coming in can get just a little bolder, Taylor could really be on his way out the door.
Colts Already Have Trade Offer For Jonathan Taylor