The San Francisco 49ers have spent the first half of the season winning in spite of a mounting pile of injuries, especially at wide receiver.
Last Thursday, the rumor mill handed them a new storyline. Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms said on “PFT Live” that some in league circles were wondering whether San Francisco could make a play for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor — even with Christian McCaffrey already in the backfield.
However, the 49ers walked away from Tuesday’s trade deadline with a different Colts veteran.
San Francisco sent a 2027 sixth-round pick to Indianapolis for six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen about two hours before the deadline. Taylor, meanwhile, isn’t going anywhere.
So why didn’t the 49ers trade for Taylor? Well, there was a lot to it.
Colts’ Asking Price for Jonathan Taylor Was Too Steep
The 2-7 Colts were the biggest sellers of the deadline.
They shipped defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers and guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks in late October, then moved Allen and Josh Downs on Tuesday.
Taylor was supposed to be next. But Indianapolis never got the offer it was looking for.
The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reported on X that several teams offered a second-round pick and more for Taylor, but the Colts wanted more.
“The Colts won’t trade star RB Jonathan Taylor by today’s deadline, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports. Multiple teams offered a second-round pick and more for Taylor. But the Colts wanted a blockbuster offer to even consider it. Instead, Taylor stays in Indy,” Pelissero wrote.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz also reported the Colts seemingly changed their mind on moving Taylor on Tuesday.
“Sources: The #Colts had multiple offers of a 2nd-round pick and more for RB Jonathan Taylor over the last week. But the organization decided that if it ever trades him, it will be in the offseason, when more buyers could be available and a permanent GM is in place,” Schultz wrote.
That price was a lot to ask of anyone. The Colts had been seeking either a first-round pick or a package like the second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks the 49ers sent the Carolina Panthers for McCaffrey in 2022.
The New York Giants offered a second-rounder and a 2028 fifth, according to Fox’s Jay Glazer, and still got turned down. With he Colts’ demand that high, 49ers GM John Lynch was right to not engage.
The 49ers Can Live Without Taylor
Running back was never San Francisco’s biggest need. Wide receiver was.
Ricky Pearsall went on injured reserve after knee surgery in training camp. Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Christian Kirk (knee), and Mike Evans all sat out Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders. And just over a week ago, Jauan Jennings turned down a reunion with the 49ers.
Allen fills that hole for the cost of a sixth-rounder. The 34-year-old Cal alum led the Colts with 40 catches for 351 yards and a touchdown in eight games.
And McCaffrey is still producing. The 30-year-old has 457 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, plus 36 catches for 270 yards and a score. He shook off a mild hamstring strain to post 18 carries, 68 yards, and a TD in Sunday’s 38-17 win over the Raiders.
Rookie Kaelon Black (11 carries, 70 yards) has also given the backfield a spark.
Taylor, on the other hand, has 656 rushing yards and eight touchdowns through nine games. But he’s averaging the fewest yards per carry of his career.
So instead of paying a first-round price for a running back, the 49ers got their receiver for a much later pick. Allen could make his debut Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys — the same team he faced last week in his final game with Indianapolis.
Why the 49ers Didn’t Trade for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor