Tick, tick, tick goes the Jonathan Taylor trade clock.
The Indianapolis Colts could choose to breeze right through Tuesday and keep Taylor, whose contract runs through 2028. Or they could deal him to an NFL contender by 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. Central) on Tuesday, Nov. 10 — the NFL’s trading deadline.
It’s a decision they still haven’t made, and it feels a lot like one they won’t fully make until Monday or Tuesday.
The Colts do have a game to play in the meantime, against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Week 9, and Taylor is expected to suit up. That will certainly factor into what comes next, too — does Taylor’s workload, or an injury, indicate what the Colts will do with Taylor?
It’s going to be the biggest story of the trade deadline, barring a surprise, one way or the other.
Either the Colts decide to maintain their future with Taylor, or they shake up the entire NFL by trading Taylor. It’s going to grab all the rumors and headlines in the meantime.
On Saturday morning, NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport provided an update in a new article.
Jonathan Taylor Trade Update
This is what Schefter and Rapoport wrote about Taylor on Saturday morning:
The Indianapolis Colts’ potential trade of Jonathan Taylor continues to take the spotlight heading into Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, with Indianapolis sitting on an offer of a second-round draft pick and more for the star running back.
Yet the Colts view Taylor as a potential part of any rebuild, despite multiple teams’ interest.
Whether the Colts pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade — and whether they get the Christian McCaffrey-style compensation package they seek — are among the biggest storylines prior to the deadline of Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
The biggest note there is that the Colts already have an offer “of a second-round draft pick and more.”
It appears they don’t yet have the CMC-level offer — which was a second-rounder, third-rounder, fourth-rounder and fifth-rounder.
Whether or not any team raises the cost between now and Tuesday’s deadline could determine whether Taylor is traded.
Jonathan Taylor Trade Timeline
Because Taylor is expected to play Sunday, a deal isn’t likely to happen until Sunday night at the earliest.
Sunday’s developments, like an injury on a team that wants Taylor, could also accelerate a deal.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Colts took it right up to Tuesday’s deadline to raise the bids as high as possible. But if they get an increased offer sooner than that, they might just take it and get the deal done.
More Colts Jonathan Taylor Trade Details Reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter