Colts now open to dealing RB Jonathan Taylor for significant draft picks, per report

The Indianapolis Colts are open to dealing star running back Jonathan Taylor, according to a report from ESPN. This comes after reports earlier this week from the network that Taylor was seen as part of the team’s future.

Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota, the New York Giants and Seattle are teams that have expressed interest in trading for Taylor, according to the report. The Colts have turned down a second-round pick and an additional draft pick for Taylor, according to a report from The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero.

Colts coach Shane Steichen said Taylor would play Sunday in Jacksonville.

The Panthers received second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round draft picks from San Francisco in 2022 in exchange for Christian McCaffrey, the best comparison for Taylor among recent trades involving running backs. The ESPN report says the Colts would be expecting a similar return for Taylor. The Colts traded their 2027 first-round draft pick to the Jets as part of the Sauce Gardner deal, making adding picks a priority in a rebuild after starting this season 2-5.

Taylor’s contract makes him an attractive trade piece because the Colts have paid his $15 million signing bonus, leaving a new team responsible for his remaining 2026 base salary, $15 million in 2027 and $9.46 million in 2028.

“You can’t control some things,” Taylor said this week after initially trying to brush aside trade speculation. “The business side is going to move with or without you, with or without your permission, with or without you knowing.”

The Indianapolis Colts now are open to trading star running back Jonathan Taylor, sources told @RapSheet and me. Multiple teams have reached out to Indianapolis, and those talks are said to be active and ongoing, according to sources. More on https://t.co/NcfwZLCjrb. pic.twitter.com/X2gYBnSFek

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2026

The Colts have already dealt star offensive lineman Quenton Nelson and star defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. In those deals, the Colts added 2027 third- and fourth-round picks, and a 2028 fifth-rounder. Receiver Josh Downs has requested a trade as well.

Taylor has 587 rushing yards this season and is tied for the NFL lead with eight rushing touchdowns. He has a franchise-record 77 rushing touchdowns, and his 8,185 rushing yards are second only to Edgerrin James (9,226) in Colts’ history.

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts now open to dealing RB Jonathan Taylor for significant draft picks, per report