Colts open to trading Jonathan Taylor as talks with five teams heat up

Colts signal they will move their star back

The Indianapolis Colts are now willing to trade running back Jonathan Taylor, according to sources who spoke with ESPN and NFL Network. Multiple teams have reached out about the three-time Pro Bowler, and those talks are described as active and ongoing. The Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks have all shown at least some level of interest, per the sources.

Taylor and Colts owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon met this week for what sources called an in-depth conversation about his future with the team. Irsay-Gordon reportedly has an affinity for Taylor and would prefer he stay as part of the Colts' rebuild, but the front office also recognizes what he could bring back in a trade. No deal is in place, and it is not yet clear which team, if any, ends up with him.

A teardown already in motion

Taylor's situation is not happening in isolation. Over the past week the Colts traded Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson and Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, netting a 2027 third-round pick, a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Sources say the front office does not mind shedding salary and veteran players for more draft capital, and more trades could follow.

The team is also in talks on wide receiver Josh Downs, who requested a trade this past week. Indianapolis has told other teams it wants to keep Downs but is still willing to listen, and has set his value at a third-round pick. Coach Shane Steichen addressed the trades with the team in a meeting, telling players this is the business of the NFL and asking them to stay professional about it. Sources say practices have been solid since.

The moves trace back to organizational conversations Irsay-Gordon led the Monday after the Colts lost to the Vikings, which led directly into the Nelson and Buckner trades that Tuesday. It is a heavy lift for a new owner and an interim general manager, Ed Dodds, both still finding their footing.

What a deal could cost, and what Taylor is saying

If the Colts move Taylor, they are expected to ask for a package similar to what the San Francisco 49ers gave the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey in 2022, a deal that included second, third, fourth and fifth round picks. Taylor, 27, is signed through 2027 for $15 million and 2028 for $9.46 million, and Indianapolis already paid him a $15 million signing bonus before this season, numbers sources say only add to his appeal for other teams.

Taylor said Thursday that he has not asked the Colts for a trade, saying he is "always proud to wear the horseshoe." He is expected to play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as is Downs, even with both of their futures in Indianapolis still unsettled.

Facts per ESPN. Opinion is the taproom's.