‘Worried About Losing the Locker Room’ — NFL Executive Makes Feelings Clear on Colts Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon Amid Jonathan Taylor Trade Speculation
· Yahoo Sports
The air feels heavier in Indianapolis after the Colts pulled off two unexpected trades Tuesday, sending veteran guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers.
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The moves have raised concern around the league about how further trades could affect the Colts’ locker room as the NFL trade deadline approaches. With Ed Dodds leading personnel decisions after Ballard’s firing, rival executives have warned that further moves could risk locker-room fallout.
According to a recent report by The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones, the Colts are weighing the locker-room implications of further trades. One concern is that completing the Nelson and Buckner deals well before the deadline could prompt other players to consider their futures, while Taylor has simultaneously emerged as a major trade target for rival teams.
Colts Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon at Crossroads Amid Jonathan Taylor Trade Rumors
After the Colts parted ways with longtime GM Chris Ballard on October 19, 2026, a fire sale appears to have begun. Ballard was fired one day after the team’s 26-20 Week 6 loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, which dropped Indianapolis to 2-4.
This dismal start to 2026 came on the backdrop of a disastrous campaign last year, during which the team started 8-2 before losing seven consecutive games and missing the postseason entirely.
On October 27, 2026, the team took another decisive step by trading left guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
Similarly, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Now, attention has shifted to running back Jonathan Taylor as the November 10 trade deadline approaches, with Indianapolis reportedly open to moving him and trade talks involving multiple teams active.
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In his report, Jones cited a team executive who said Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was concerned that trading the veteran running back could risk losing the locker room.
“She’s worried about losing the locker room,” said one team executive who has had trade conversations with the Colts, per Jones.
According to Jones, another unnamed GM believed that completing the previous trades well ahead of the deadline could encourage other Colts players to seek exits, leaving Indianapolis more time to deal with the fallout.
“To me, where they erred is rushing to do these deals,” the GM said. “They could have gotten those prices in two weeks. When you trade people this early, now other people start wanting out. If they had done those late next week or the day before the deadline, then you’re out of time. Now you’ve got to deal with it for 10 days,” he added.
According to various reports, Taylor remains a hot trade prospect and has drawn interest from teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks.
He is currently ranked No. 10 in PFN’s NFL Running Back Impact Rankings. However, Taylor has publicly distanced himself from the trade rumors, stating that he has not requested a trade while acknowledging that he does not have full control over his future.
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The Colts have begun reshaping the roster while rebuilding their stockpile of draft capital after the 2025 Sauce Gardner trade, in which Indianapolis sent wide receiver Adonai Mitchell along with its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks.
The team currently does not have a first-round selection in the upcoming draft. That could change if the Colts manage to acquire a first-round pick in a Taylor trade before the deadline.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.