Colts Weigh Jonathan Taylor Trade at $44 Million Price as Vikings, Giants Emerge

Q: Will the Colts ultimately regret rejecting trade offers for Jonathan Taylor, or is he their key to a late-season run?

The Colts are more likely to regret trading Jonathan Taylor only if their season collapses; based on what is known now, holding him was the defensible move. Indianapolis set a high price — a first-round pick or a strong Day 2 package — and no team appears to have met it. Given Taylor’s age, production and contract, that stance is understandable. He has delivered about 610 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns and 202 receiving yards, and he is signed through 2028 after a two-year, $44 million extension. That makes him more than a short-term rental and gives the Colts cost certainty at a premium offensive position. The case for keeping him is strengthened by the rest of the roster. Daniel Jones has struggled, with five touchdowns against nine interceptions, so Taylor remains the Colts’ most reliable offensive centerpiece. If Indianapolis wants any realistic late-season push, it likely needs to lean on the run game and protect the quarterback, not strip away its best weapon. The risk is that the Colts may have passed on the peak return for a running back, a position teams often devalue in trades. If the club fades and Taylor’s workload rises without team success, critics will argue Indianapolis should have taken draft capital from a team like Minnesota or the Giants. For now, though, the evidence favors the Colts’ choice. Unless another team was willing to pay full value, moving a productive, under-contract star would have looked more like surrender than strategy.

3 articles · Updated · FOX Sports · Nov 7

Conflicting reports have left Jonathan Taylor's status unresolved ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline, with Indianapolis still seeking a first-round pick or multiple Day 2 picks.
The Athletic expects the Colts to trade Taylor and lists the Vikings and Giants as favorites, while The Ringer says a deal is unlikely because no team has met the asking price.
Taylor has 610 rushing yards, eight touchdowns and 202 receiving yards through eight games, and his two-year, $44 million extension signed in August runs through 2028.
Indianapolis could also move quarterback Daniel Jones, who has drawn interest after posting 1,542 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions in the first year of a two-year, $88 million deal.
Elsewhere, Baltimore told Derrick Henry he will not be traded, Denver was rebuffed on Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, and Kansas City remains interested in Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr.