The Minnesota Vikings are perhaps the most talked about trade partner for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, and those talks just got as real as they have been since the regular season began.
Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport of ESPN reported on Saturday, October 31 that the Colts are now officially open to dealing Taylor ahead of the NFL’s November 10 trade deadline.
“Multiple teams have reached out to Indianapolis, and those talks are said to be active and ongoing, according to sources,” Schefter and Rapoport wrote. “The list of teams that have expressed at least some level of interest in trading for Taylor so far is thought to include the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks, sources said.”
The Colts have already dealt Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick, as well as defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Seattle Seahawks for a fourth-round selection.
Colts Running Back Jonathan Taylor Could Go for 1st-Round Pick Given His Real Salary Cost
What Indianapolis will accept for Taylor in trade is unclear, though the most common proposals authored in speculation by media members involve a second-round pick and possibly another draft asset. Considering the interest from five teams, however, the Colts may push for a first-rounder in return.
Part of the argument for that high of a price is that Taylor remains under contract through 2028. And even though he recently signed a two-year, $44 million extension that kicks in next season, Indy has already paid a good chunk of that money to the running back.
“Taylor, 27, is under contract in 2027 for $15 million and in 2028 for $9.46 million, making him even more attractive to any acquiring team,” Schefter and Rapoport added. “Indianapolis already paid him a signing bonus of $15 million before the season.”
Jordan Mason, Aaron Jones Sr. Will Both Play Against Lions in Week 8
Minnesota still has Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason in the backfield, both of whom are healthy ahead of the team’s road game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Mason suffered a broken thumb during Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers and missed the following four contests, but then returned after the Minnesota’s bye in Week 6.
Meanwhile, Jones suffered an MCL sprain earlier this season but played through it and was the team’s primary back between Weeks 2-5 in Mason’s absence. Jones re-aggravated that same knee injury against the Colts last Sunday, but the team cleared him on Friday for the upcoming contest at Ford Field.
Neither Jones or Mason is under contract with the Vikings beyond this season.
Vikings Get Major News on Possible Jonathan Taylor Trade