One more week remains until Jonathan Taylor will be eligible to be activated from the PUP list. Plenty remains to be seen what will happen next for the Colts running back, but the chances of a trade appear to be dwindling. 
The Colts have explored a deal sending the 24-year-old elsewhere, something which would be difficult to sort out given the price required in a trade and a subsequent extension handed out by an acquiring team. Indianapolis was originally thought to be seeking a first-round pick (or a package of draft capital with equal value), but that may no longer be the case. A report from earlier this week indicated a lesser asking price might be sufficient to get a deal done.
In spite of that, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports it is increasingly likely Taylor remains with the Colts. He notes executives around the league doubt that Indianapolis has ever truly intended to move on from the 2021 rushing champion, whose PUP designation came amidst speculation his ankle injury is not serious enough to keep him out of game action. A few teams have been brought up in Taylor trade negotiations, but at least one of them (the Packers) is no longer interested in a swap.
The first few weeks of the NFL season has seen several major injuries at the running back spot, including J.K. Dobbins and Nick Chubb being lost for the year due to Achilles and knee injuries, respectively. As Jones notes, those examples of the injury risk the position is marked with “have not helped” Taylor’s market. The Ravens and Browns have looked elsewhere for depth options (reuniting with Kenyan Drake and Kareem Hunt) in lieu of a Taylor trade. The Bears, Jones adds, never emerged as an interested party.
With few obvious suitors in place at this point, the likeliest outcome in this situation is that Taylor remains with the Colts through Week 4, when he will first be eligible to be activated. As Jones notes, though, the true calendar point to watch in Taylor’s case will be the Oct. 31 trade deadline. Taylor must play six total games (with the Colts and/or another team) in 2023 to accrue another year toward free agency. He is on the final year of his rookie pact, meaning the franchise tag looms as a viable option for 2024 from the Colts’ perspective.
General manager Chris Ballard has publicly expressed optimism the team’s relationship with Taylor can be repaired. With a trade still Taylor’s preference, per Jones, it will be worth watching how active Indianapolis is in working out a potential deal. For the time being, though, it seems unlikely Taylor will be on the move in the immediate future.
Buccaneers need to get something done
trade him to the packers for RB AJ Dillion and a 3rd round pick
They don’t want Dillon.. and really who would? He’s extremely average at best. The colts want Watson and 2 mid round picks
“Extremely average”. What a hot take.
A J is great with local fans. You should get to know him like many do.
By the looks of things today, they don’t need the distraction. Some strange play calling at the end but thankfully, they were going against the most overrated QB in the league
Taylor will make a nice backup for Zach Moss if he sticks around.
Cmon people we’re talking a quality RB and Indy (mis)management here. In order to decipher team course probability first action is to bang your head real hard against concrete spin around 9 times then while you’re seeing stars and dizzy make your decision on which direction is best with this soap opera
This is really just about Irsay’s ego and him wanting to impress everyone that he carries a big stick. He’ll wreck the Colts completely before ever admitting to making mistakes. Ballard will get thrown under the bus as the fall guy.
Edlemon – nice opinion, from a non Coltsfan. 100% wrong, but hey; it’s an opinion, doesn’t have to be factual. You really don’t know squat about Irsay, but I get it. It’s no different than me thinking Robert Kraft is a joke, probably part of the mafia. It’s an opinion.
The braindead media and fan takes on this situation are laughable.
1) The Colts 100% value Taylor at a high level. No one from Irsay to Ballard to Steichen has said otherwise. It’s not ridiculous to ask the guy coming off an injury to at least play *a few* games to make sure he’s worthy of a potentially record-setting contract.
2) Taylor’s agent is the biggest d-bag and seems to have warped Taylor’s mind into thinking that he deserves the contract now rather than later. Back in April Taylor said “I’m under contract here for four years. I put the pen to the paper, so that’s where I’m at right now. I have an obligation to them, and an obligation to me, but things will happen naturally.” A few weeks later he hires a new agent and his entire tone shifts.
3) If he feels that he deserves a huge contract because he’s been the focal point of the offense and might continue to be the focal point, then Richardson’s performance the past few weeks should put that to bed. Having a top-tier running back to draw defenses away from designed QB runs or options has Colts fans foaming at the mouth. Moss has been stellar but he’s not JT.
4) Everyone sh*ts on the Colts for asking too high a price for trading Taylor but he’s worth it and they know that. Teams also act like a couple 2nd’s are worth it but then they forget that he’ll *still* be asking for a new contract. Are you prepared to give up a couple of picks and then the contract he’s demanding?
The best path forward for him, by far, is to stop talking, tell your agent to stop talking, be ready starting in week 5, and play at as high of a level as you possibly can. It’ll force the Colts’ hand and get you the contract you want. If not, then the rest of the league will see that you’re back and you can work on a contract somewhere else. Sitting out and hosting a pity party will just make you Le’Veon Bell 2.0