The Indianapolis Colts haven’t hid their intentions. It’s still two weeks before the NFL trade deadline, and they’re already selling.
On Tuesday, they traded away offensive guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks. They received a third- and a fifth-round pick in return. And it has everyone wondering which players might be next, from the more obvious like DeForest Buckner to the more high-profile like Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor’s name has stood above the rest in recent trade rumors for two reasons.
One is that he’s one of the best running backs in football, which would make him the most impressive player potentially moved before this season’s Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline.
The other note, though, is that Taylor isn’t on an expiring contract. Most players traded this time of year are going to be free agents at the end of the season. Taylor isn’t.
He signed an extension with Indianapolis just this summer, tacking two years onto his deal to keep him under contract through the 2028 season.
That hasn’t stopped the trade rumors, but it does make them look different from any considerations with players like Buckner, Grover Stewart, Josh Downs or Keenan Allen — all free agents at the end of the year.
With that in mind, though, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Colts might have different plans for Taylor.
Colts’ Jonathan Taylor Trade Plans Revealed
Schefter joined the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday shortly after the Colts traded away Nelson. One of the logical follow-up topics was Taylor.
What are the Colts going to do with their star RB, the show wondered?
Well, Schefter had an answer that most Colts fans should appreciate.
“My understanding is that the owner doesn’t wanna trade Jonathan Taylor,” Schefter told McAfee. “Again, we have two weeks until the deadline. I’m sure they don’t want to trade Jonathan Taylor, and if I had to guess today, I would say I don’t think they will trade Jonathan Taylor.”
Schefter wasn’t done, though, and the next part of his answer is a bit more concerning for Indy fans.
What Could Make Colts Trade Jonathan Taylor
A lot can happen in two weeks. The Colts’ plans, and those of other teams, could still change by the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
“I think there are going to be teams that are interested out there that will try to have conversations, make offers,” Schefter said. “And if the Colts don’t change their stance, they won’t trade Jonathan Taylor. The owner doesn’t want to trade him, for the record right now. That doesn’t mean it happens. And that could just be their stance to drive up the price.”
Taylor would bring back great draft capital for a Colts team that doesn’t have its 2027 first-round pick after giving it up last year to get Sauce Gardner.
The Colts seem like they’d rather have Taylor himself than a conceptual talent from the draft, but there’s still two weeks for that to be determined.
Jonathan Taylor’s Colts Future Revealed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter