Jonathan Taylor stays with Colts: Why Indianapolis demanded a first-round pick

Indianapolis may be rebuilding, but Taylor's team-friendly contract and place among the NFL's most productive running backs gave the franchise little reason to accept a discounted offer

Nov 10, 2026 at 3:57 pm ET • 1 min read

Jonathan Taylor isn't going anywhere. The Indianapolis Colts decided to keep their 27-year-old, three-time Pro Bowl running back at the 2026 NFL trade deadline. The Colts  turned down offers of second-round picks and more for Taylor, indicating they required at least a first-round pick to trade him away, according to Tom Pelissero.

Basically, it seems like Indianapolis turned down trade offers comparable to what the San Francisco 49ers sent the Carolina Panthers in 2022 to acquire running back Christian McCaffrey, who was 26. Back then, San Francisco sent Carolina the following picks: a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick. 

So why would the Colts walk away from such a deal for Taylor? Let's break it down. 

The Colts are overcompensating in their Taylor trade demands after not getting market value for Quenton Nelson (a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks). They also don't have their own first-round pick ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 NFL Draft because they traded it to the New York Jets a year ago to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner. That's why Indianapolis probably rebuffed trade packages that lacked first-round picks: they were trying to clean up their mistake from last year's trade deadline. 

Also, Taylor is one of the best running backs of his generation: he averages the fifth-most rushing yards per game (88.8) in NFL history. It's understandable why Indianapolis maintained the stance that they won't trade him away for anything less than a first-round pick.

Most rushing yards per game, NFL history	Rush YPG
Jim Brown	104.3
Barry Sanders	99.8
Terrell Davis	97.5
Eric Dickerson	90.8
Jonathan Taylor	88.8
Walter Payton	88.0

The running back contract market has also changed, and they were able to lock Taylor down on a two-year, $44 million extension with $39 million in guaranteed money before the 2026 season began. That's a great value. The Colts now have him locked down through the 2028 season, the rest of his 20s, and there isn't any guaranteed money left on the deal in 2027 or 2028. That makes it really easy to move him via trade in the future or keep him around for whatever quarterback they eventually add to replace Daniel Jones next year. Those are the reasons why Taylor won't be relocating at the 2026 NFL trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon.