Colts face big decisions on star players as NFL trade deadline looms

Why the Colts are suddenly in trade talks

Colts face big decisions on star players as the NFL trade deadline looms, with Indianapolis sitting at 2-4 after firing general manager Chris Ballard. That move sent a signal across the league, and other teams have been studying tape and discussing trade scenarios for a Colts roster that includes running back Jonathan Taylor, guard Quenton Nelson, and defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, according to league sources.

The big question is whether the Colts are willing to start unloading pieces. Sources informed of the team's thinking believe Indianapolis wants to try to win its next three games, at Minnesota, at Jacksonville, and at home against Dallas, before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. The idea is to give the coaching staff and players a chance to earn their way into the playoff mix. If that run does not happen, new chief of personnel Ed Dodds, a longtime lieutenant of Ballard's, is expected to work with owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon and other members of the Indianapolis front office to deal players and start building for the future.

Jonathan Taylor is the headline name

No player on the roster draws more interest than Taylor. The Packers, Seahawks, Broncos and Vikings have all pondered or are expected to consider a trade for the running back, according to sources. Green Bay explored a Taylor deal back in August 2023, when Indianapolis wanted wide receiver Christian Watson and more in return, and the talks never went anywhere. It is not out of the question those conversations resurface, since Taylor played his college ball in Wisconsin.

Taylor signed a contract extension just before this season, and he is due the rest of his nearly $7 million base salary this year, followed by $16 million next season and nearly $18 million in 2028. Despite the extension, teams still view him as a top trade target. Sources close to the Colts' thinking say owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon sees Taylor as a key part of the organization and a likely mainstay in any rebuild, so any deal would cost a trade partner premium draft pick compensation.

Buckner has a familiar landing spot in play

DeForest Buckner is the other name teams are circling. The 49ers, where Buckner played from 2016 through 2019, could make a run at bringing him back, according to league sources. San Francisco originally traded for Buckner in March 2020, sending the 13th overall pick to Indianapolis.

Buckner is now 32 and playing as well as he ever has, and he is scheduled to become a free agent in 2027, which makes him a target for contenders that need help on the defensive line. He has already been paid a $10 million roster bonus and is due the rest of his $13 million base salary this year. Sources say he is nearly guaranteed to leave Indianapolis after this season regardless of what the Colts decide to do at the deadline.

What happens next

Nelson and Stewart are also drawing calls around the league, though the reporting so far centers on Taylor and Buckner as the two names most likely to move. The Colts' direction will hinge on those next three games against Minnesota, Jacksonville and Dallas. A strong run keeps the roster mostly intact for a playoff push, while a rough stretch pushes Ed Dodds, Irsay-Gordon and the rest of the front office toward trading veterans for future assets before the Nov. 10 deadline.

Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.