Colts' Jonathan Taylor Keeps Being Mentioned in Hypothetical Trades
· Yahoo Sports
In pro sports, hardly anything lasts forever (or at least the span of a player's career).
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The NBA world got a reminder of that this week with the Milwaukee Bucks' trade of star Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
That got Garrett Podell of CBS Sports thinking about the NFL equivalent to such a trade, outside of Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, and Podell mentioned Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor on his list.
"A running back's prime is finite, and Taylor remains at the top of his game after producing the third-most rushing yards (1,585) and the most rushing touchdowns (18) in the NFL in 2025," Podell wrote. "If Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) and wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) can't get healthy in a hurry, the 27-year-old three-time Pro Bowl back may start looking around for a new home. Not many general managers around the league would keep their jobs after five seasons of postseason-less football, but somehow Chris Ballard has been able to do that in Indianapolis."
Podell then predicted that Taylor will, in fact, request a trade from the Colts by the 2026 deadline on Nov. 3:
"Taylor enters the final year of his three-year, $42 million contract in 2026, so if the Colts start off slow thanks to unreliable starts to the year by Jones and Pierce, it would be in both the franchise's and Taylor's best interest to part ways at the trade deadline."
READ MORE: What Are Colts' Best and Worst-Case Scenarios in 2026?
Last, Podell suggests Taylor could land with the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a third-round draft pick.
"Should the Steelers get off to a hot start in Aaron Rodgers' swan song with his pal Mike McCarthy back as his head coach, Pittsburgh could go all in on the future Hall of Famer's last season," Podell said. "Jaylen Warren is a nice change-of-pace back, and Rico Dowdle is someone McCarthy said in Dallas could stand to work on his vision as a runner. Taylor would give McCarthy the bell-cow back he's missed since Ezekiel Elliott's decline and Tony Pollard's fibula injury in the 2022 postseason while coaching the Cowboys."
Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) shake hands after playing at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesWhile this is not the first time a national outlet has included Taylor in a hypothetical trade this offseason, Taylor does not seem to want to force his way out right now.
"Oh, I’d definitely love to be a Colt for life," Taylor said recently during the team's mandatory minicamp. "I think I’ve already expressed that to them throughout the years.
"Just from college coming here – you grow up in college a little bit to a young man, and then now, growing into an adult, this is like a third home of mine. So, I’ve definitely expressed that, and hopefully they feel the same because this is a special place. Not every building is like this, and I’ve heard some stories now, especially from guys coming from other places, and it’s not like this everywhere."
It is reasonable to see why Taylor could be an ideal trade candidate if you look at things on the surface without diving into further context.
READ MORE: Colts' Rookie Considered Potential 'Surprise Starter'
He is entering the final year of his contract, and the last time that was the case, he and the team reached a standoff in which he didn't play until Week 5, when he signed a multi-year extension that made him one of the highest-paid running backs in the league.
Taylor is 27 years old now and will be 28 shortly after the season ends. It's a risk to sign a running back to a multi-year deal at that age, and especially at what is likely to be a high price. Taylor also averages about 290 touches per season for his career, which includes a pair of injury-plagued seasons in 2022 and 2023, so will the Colts want to get out before his decline?
That's about where the argument stops.
Taylor is still an elite running back who had arguably the best season of his career last year and showed improvements in his game. Letting go of someone like that, who is also a tireless worker and leader in the locker room, is never a desire or easy decision.
The Colts will likely also need to be Taylor-centric in their offensive philosophy in 2026, as quarterback Daniel Jones is recovering from a torn Achilles and may not be able to shoulder the entire weight of the offense.
If the Colts were to trade Taylor, they don't have anyone proven to replace him. The Colts spent Day 3 picks in each of the last two drafts on running backs. DJ Giddens played in only nine games as a rookie last year, and Seth McGowan is viewed as more of a complementary back.
From the outside, Taylor is quite tradeable, but not for a team that needs to make the playoffs, or else.