Why one NFL analyst believes Colts RB Jonathan Taylor could be trade candidate

Would the Indianapolis Colts trade Jonathan Taylor? One NFL analyst thinks it could be a possibility.

Garrett Podell of CBS Sports put together his list of five NFL stars “who could force a Giannis-like trade,” and among those listed was Taylor.

Podell predicts that Taylor asks for a trade prior to this year’s trade deadline and that the Colts could get a third-round pick in return. Podell names the Steelers as a “likely landing spot.”

“A running back’s prime is finite, and Taylor remains at the top of his game after producing the third-most rushing yards (1,585) and the most rushing touchdowns (18) in the NFL in 2025,” Podell wrote. “If Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) and wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) can’t get healthy in a hurry, the 27-year-old three-time Pro Bowl back may start looking around for a new home.”

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“A running back’s prime is finite, and Taylor remains at the top of his game after producing the third-most rushing yards (1,585) and the most rushing touchdowns (18) in the NFL in 2025,” Podell wrote. “If Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) and wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) can’t get healthy in a hurry, the 27-year-old three-time Pro Bowl back may start looking around for a new home.”

Taylor is entering the final year of his current deal and will be looking for a new contract. He has also made it known that he would like to remain in Indianapolis.

But perhaps more vital to this conversation than that is the current iteration of the Colts, led by Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen, is in win-now mode. It’s been five years since the Colts last made the playoffs, and another missed postseason appearance could lead to massive changes.

That said, Taylor is far too important of a player to this Colts’ offense to move on from him. That would feel like punting on the season when Ballard’s only option is to find ways to win.

And if the Colts are in such a rough position at the trade deadline that making the playoffs is already not feasible, it might make more sense to allow the new GM to decide Taylor’s future with the team and not the current GM, who is probably on his way out at that point.