Why Indianapolis Colts And Running Back Jonathan Taylor Are Suddenly The Biggest Story Heading Into The NFL Trade Deadline

Indianapolis Colts fire sale puts Jonathan Taylor in spotlight© Image via: X/@NFL

After a loss to the Minnesota Vikings dropped the Indianapolis Colts to 2-5, the front office began selling, and it moved fast: guard Quenton Nelson landed with the Seattle Seahawks, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner left the same day, and receiver Josh Downs reportedly asked out. Yet the name that keeps other teams calling is running back Jonathan Taylor, who has not requested a trade, as head coach Shane Steichen made clear on Wednesday, even though that promise carries less weight than it sounds. A team in rebuild mode rarely waits for a player to ask.

 Why Jonathan Taylor Still Matters To The Indianapolis Colts Before The NFL Trade Deadline

Taylor is 27 and has scored eight rushing touchdowns through seven games, a stat line that would tempt almost any contender. The Colts, though, hold the stronger hand, because his contract runs through the 2028 season and nothing forces them to sell before someone meets their price. They also have a reason to hold out for more. Their 2027 first-round pick already belongs to the New York Jets after the Sauce Gardner trade, so any draft capital they collect during a rebuild carries extra value.

Colts trading RB Jonathan Taylor to the Vikings for a 2027 2nd-round pick and a 2028 3rd-round pick. (via @AdamSchefter) https://t.co/ZRsCLxgtg6

— Aaron (@AaronTheVike) October 28, 2026

Running backs age quickly in this league, and a buyer paying a premium for one knows it. That tension may keep the price stubborn right up to the deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET.

What A Jonathan Taylor Healthy Scratch Would Mean For The Indianapolis Colts

Fans hunting for clues should skip the rumor mill on Sunday and read the inactive list instead. Indianapolis faces the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio argues that a benching would say more than any report could, since a team guarding a trade chip has good reason to keep him off the field.

"Taylor plays a position that is conducive to injury," Florio writes. "If the Colts make him a healthy scratch on Sunday, it will be the most obvious indication that a trade is coming. Unless it happens before then."

The Philadelphia Eagles and Saquon Barkley show what that risk looks like. Barkley aggravated a hamstring injury on Monday night and then hurt his back, which complicated any chance Philadelphia had of moving him. Florio even wonders whether watching that unfold pushed Indianapolis to sell Nelson and Buckner before an injury of their own could spoil the market.

Whether Taylor suits up against the Jacksonville Jaguars and then the Dallas Cowboys, or watches from the sideline in street clothes, the Colts have so far given nothing away.