The Indianapolis Colts are in free fall, having lost five straight games after a 2-2 start to the season. During the losing streak, Indianapolis has fired GM Chris Ballard (after the first of the five straight losses, to previously winless Titans) and traded two franchise cornerstones. Interim GM Ed Dodds shipped guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers.
Trades often beget more trades -- or at least trade rumors, and that's been true for the Colts. Ahead of the trade deadline, plenty of Indianapolis players have been thought of as trade candidates, though one stands out above the rest: running back Jonathan Taylor.
He had 20 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage last year, and he's on his way to another big season, but the Colts are stuck going nowhere once again. He's 27 and has played in just one playoff game -- as a rookie in 2020. He would command a huge return haul, and the Colts could very much use it, especially because they don't have their 2027 first-round pick (currently No. 4 overall) after last year's disastrous Sauce Gardner trade.
Taylor would have plenty of suitors if made available, and the situation isn't too dissimilar from what the Panthers were going through with Christian McCaffrey in 2022. McCaffrey is a more versatile player than Taylor in the passing game and was younger than Taylor is now when that deal happened, but he had also been more injured. In the deal with the 49ers in 2022, Carolina received second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks.
With that in mind, here are four teams who could come calling about Taylor and what a mock trade might look like:
New York Giants
Giants receive: RB Jonathan Taylor Colts receive: RB Cam Skattebo, 2027 second-round pick, 2028 fourth-round pick
Last month, John Harbaugh said he "would love" to have a "Derrick Henry circumstance or a "Saquon Barkley circumstance." Whether he meant to or not, it was surely a bummer for Giants fans to hear Harbaugh mention his running back from last year and a former Giants running back in the same sentence. Regardless, Taylor could be that type of workhorse. Harbaugh even confirmed the Giants put an offer in on Taylor but retracted it. The Colts getting two high draft picks over the next two years, plus Skattebo, who showed promise as a rookie but has had an up-and-down 2026, would be a decent return. The Giants are leading a bad NFC East, and even if it doesn't finish that way, having Taylor next to Jaxson Dart next year would be an enticing prospect.
One thing to note, though, is that Harbaugh comes from one of the most patient, draft-and-develop franchises in Baltimore. This would be a significant departure from that.
Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals receive: RB Jonathan Taylor, 2027 fifth-round pick Colts receive: RB Chase Brown, 2027 second-round pick, 2027 fourth-round pick
This would be similar to the package the Panthers got for McCaffrey, but instead of a third-round pick, the Colts would get Brown. At 26, he's younger and has less wear and tear than Taylor. He's also an accomplished player and productive pass catcher who has handled a bell-cow workload before. A change of scenery could do him good, as he has struggled to get going this season. For the Bengals, this would be a second major win-now move in just over six months; they sent the No. 10 pick to the Giants in April for Dexter Lawrence. The Bengals had tried to work in more under-center looks, but were among the worst teams using it. Now, they're once again a shotgun-heavy, pass-heavy team. In the playoffs or in iffy weather, though, they might need more balance. Cincinnati also has an extra third-round pick, which helps make giving up so many picks easier to swallow.
Denver Broncos
Broncos receive: RB Jonathan Taylor, 2027 sixth-round pick Colts receive: RB J.K. Dobbins, 2027 second-round pick, 2027 third-round pick, 2028 fourth-round pick
The Broncos traded a first-round pick for an upgrade at wide receiver in Jaylen Waddle this offseason (though it hasn't really worked out yet). Would they make another big deal for an upgrade at running back in Taylor? The Broncos have struggled to muster much on the ground, exacerbating quarterback Bo Nix's struggles -- though Nix has been better of late. Dobbins is on a two-year deal, though there's an out after this year should the Colts choose to use it.
Minnesota Vikings
Vikings receive: RB Jonathan Taylor Colts receive: RB Jordan Mason, 2027 second-round pick, 2027 third-round pick
The Vikings are in the quarterback market after an awful "Monday Night Football" loss to the Bills featured Carson Wentz throwing two picks with Kyler Murray (hamstring) sidelined. If they can't cash in there, though, perhaps they could try to upgrade the other part of their sagging offense. Mason would be a nice, young-ish piece for the Colts to get back to help the rest of the way. Plus, the Vikings have draft capital to spare, with an extra third, two extra fifths and two extra sixths.
