The New York Giants will return to action in Week 9, and while their upcoming game is obviously worthy of attention, there are also a handful of storylines surrounding the team off the field. Perhaps the biggest of the bunch involves Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who appears set to be traded over the next few days.
With the Giants needing help at the running back position, the team has emerged as one of the favorites to acquire Taylor from the Colts. There are a handful of other teams in the running for Taylor, but one NFL insider recently predicted that New York will end up winning the race for the All-Pro running back’s services.
Giants Predicted to Win Jonathan Taylor Trade Sweepstakes
The Giants’ running back room has been a bit of a mess this season. Cam Skattebo just turned in a stellar outing against the Houston Texans in Week 7 (17 CAR, 124 YDS, 1 TD), but he’s struggled with fumbling issues, which has led the coaching staff to be reluctant when it comes to committing to him as the full-time starter. The problem is that Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary haven’t exactly done much while working behind Skattebo.
With that in mind, it’s not too hard to see why the team is so interested in Taylor. Even though he is playing in a struggling Colts offense, Taylor has remained quite productive, racking up 610 yards and eight touchdowns on 148 carries. With the unproven J.J. McCarthy under center, adding a guy like Taylor who can take some of the pressure off him would be huge for this offense.
Unsurprisingly, Indianapolis wants an arm and a leg in return for Taylor, which has slowed down the negotiations surrounding him after the team flipped Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner within a span of a couple of hours last week. New York faces serious competition in the Taylor trade sweepstakes, but NFL insider Dan Graziano of ESPN believes that it will wind up landing him from Indy when all is said and done.
The Colts are still asking for a lot for RB Jonathan Taylor and taking the stance that they don’t need to move him,” Graziano wrote. “I would guess he gets traded, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was the Giants who made that move.”
Giants Trying to Make Blockbuster Trade for Jonathan Taylor
While Skattebo has upside as a running back for the Giants, it’s clear that Taylor would be a massive upgrade over him. Sure, the team may not be expected to achieve much this season with Jaxson Dart out for the rest of the year, but adding Taylor is a move that could help New York beyond the 2026 campaign.
The Colts aren’t necessarily guaranteed to move on from Taylor, but it is seeming increasingly likely that he will be on a new team by this time next week. The Giants have clearly shown interest in making a deal here, but if the front office truly wants to bring him to town, it may have to go above and beyond in order to get this trade over the finish line.
Giants Draw Major Jonathan Taylor Prediction Amid Trade Rumors