The Indianapolis Colts kept Jonathan Taylor active on Sunday for Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars despite him being heavily involved in trade rumors.
There was no guarantee that he’d get his usual heavy workload, though, and in the first half against the Jags, Seth McGowan was used differently as the Colts’ backup RB than he usually is.
There’s a chance that things change in the second half, but the reality is that the Jaguars have opened up a 28-0 lead. If anything, Taylor will get even less action after that.
Here’s a look at what has been noticed so far.
How Colts Using Seth McGowan, Jonathan Taylor Differently
Going into the half, Taylor still had the most carries on the Colts.
He had five runs for 22 yards in the first half. Taylor also had three catches for nine yards.
But the Colts had also given three carries to McGowan for 12 yards, and the way they were actually utilizing him was different from their usual patterns.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder first shared this on X:
I haven’t tracked Jonathan Taylor’s snap counts so far, but he and backup Seth McGowan seem to be flip flopping a bit more than usual.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) November 1, 2026
Holder then added this:
If I’m not mistaken, Taylor was in for the first play of this drive, then immediately got subbed out. McGowan got the next two or three snaps.
Normally, they would give McGowan a whole drive to give Taylor a breather. Substitutions have seemed a little different today FWIW
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) November 1, 2026
The Colts went to the half officially down 28-0. Daniel Jones took a knee to send it to halftime.
It clearly didn’t matter a whole lot on this day what the Colts did with their RBs.
How 28-0 Half Impacts Jonathan Taylor Trade Rumors
This half will likely do two things.
One, it’ll make it even more clear to the Colts that they have to rebuild.
And two, it’ll likely keep Taylor mostly on the sideline in the second half without even having a win to play for. That’ll ensure Taylor stays healthy going toward the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline.
The Colts aren’t obligated to trade Taylor, because he has two years remaining on his contract. They could just go into the future with him.
But Indy seems like it’ll at least keep its options open, and in order to do that best, Taylor might need to stay on the sideline for the rest of the game against the Jaguars.
Why Colts Are Using Seth McGowan Differently Amid Jonathan Taylor Trade Rumors