The Indianapolis Colts made several moves ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, but their decision to keep star running back Jonathan Taylor has drawn criticism from ESPN.
Despite receiving significant offers for Taylor, Indianapolis elected to retain the 27-year-old rather than send him to a potential contender.
That decision prompted ESPN analyst Ben Solak to name Taylor among the biggest losers of the 2026 NFL trade deadline in his November 10 assessment.
Solak argued that the Colts missed an opportunity to secure valuable draft capital while giving one of their best players a chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
Instead, Taylor remains with a struggling Indianapolis team facing an uncertain future.
ESPN Names Colts’ Jonathan Taylor Among NFL Trade Deadline Losers
The Colts weren’t short on potential trade partners for Taylor.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero’s November 10 reporting, multiple teams offered Indianapolis a second-round draft pick and additional compensation for the running back.
However, the Colts wanted a blockbuster return before considering a deal.
Pelissero noted in a different report that Indianapolis was seeking a package comparable to what the San Francisco 49ers surrendered to acquire Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
For Solak, that asking price was simply too high.
In his ESPN trade deadline winners and losers column, Solak argued that a second-round pick accompanied by additional draft capital represented fair compensation for Taylor.
He acknowledged that seeking a McCaffrey-level return was a reasonable negotiating strategy, but questioned Indianapolis’ refusal to accept anything less.
One of the main factors was a combination of age and workload.
Taylor has been one of the NFL’s best RBs since entering the league in 2020. In that time, however, he has racked up 1,925 touches according to Solak. He also will turn 28 in January, inching ever closer to that dreaded number 30 for running backs.
It’s not just the Colts who lose out, however.
Taylor had a chance to join a contending roster and compete for a championship instead of struggling through another rebuild.
Solak identified the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals as teams where Taylor could have made a meaningful difference.
Colts Face Questions About Jonathan Taylor’s Future
Indianapolis’ decision to retain Taylor stands out against the organization’s other recent moves.
The Colts traded offensive lineman Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers in October.
They continued selling at the deadline, sending veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen to San Francisco and Josh Downs to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Those departures leave Indianapolis with a considerably different roster, and Taylor remains one of the team’s few established offensive stars.
The Colts also face a challenging rebuild without their first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which was traded to the New York Jets as part of last year’s Sauce Gardner acquisition.
Still, there is an argument for keeping Taylor.
Unlike several of Indianapolis’ other trade candidates, he is under contract through the 2028 season. The Colts aren’t necessarily facing an immediate deadline to extract value from him.
The Colts are in a difficult situation and operating with an interim GM. Waiting on Taylor is a reasonable decision.
It may be a tough pill to swallow for Taylor himself, however, as he will be tasked with helping an offense that has struggled to produce consistent results.
Whether keeping him proves to be the right decision remains to be seen, but Solak clearly believes the deadline represented a missed opportunity for both Taylor and the Colts.
Colts Star Jonathan Taylor Hit With Harsh Verdict After NFL Trade Deadline