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Coming in at No. 3 on the Indianapolis Colts' 12 Most Important Players of 2026 list is RB Jonathan Taylor.
Without a consistent quarterback at the helm, running back Jonathan Taylor has arguably been the face of the Indianapolis Colts since being drafted in the second round in 2020.
As a rookie, he broke the franchise's single-game rushing record (253 yards). He's been a First-Team All-Pro and made three Pro Bowls. He led the NFL in rushing yards once and in carries and touchdowns twice. Taylor is currently fifth in NFL history in rushing yards per game (90.5), only behind Hall-of-Famers Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and Eric Dickerson. Taylor broke Edgerrin James' franchise career rushing touchdown record last year and is just over 1,600 rushing yards away from that record as well.
So, no matter how it eventually happens, parting with Taylor will not be an easy decision for the Colts, and they likely won't force it before it's necessary.
Recently, with Taylor entering the final year of his contract, national outlets have begun tossing his name into hypothetical trade scenarios.
Most recently, Ben Solak of ESPN did it. Before that, Bleacher Report's Alex Kay and CBS Sports' Garrett Podell floated the idea of the Colts trading Taylor.
While anything can happen and the Colts trading Taylor certainly isn't an impossibility, here's why it's seriously unlikely.
Winning is urgent for the Colts in 2026. They have an all-hands-on-deck approach now, as missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year could mean that ownership blows things up in 2027 and starts over. Trading away your best offensive weapon, someone who ran more than any other running back last year, is not going to help the Colts win.
READ MORE: See Colts' Results from 7-Round 'Win-Now' Draft
The point has been made in some of these national pieces that the Colts would only consider trading Taylor if the season begins to go sideways. Trading Taylor by the early-November NFL trade deadline would mean the Colts are throwing in the towel with half of their games left to play. They would have to be really bad. Even if things are starting to turn in the wrong direction, you can expect this team to be battling until the final whistle in the fourth quarter in Week 18.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is returning from a torn right Achilles suffered last year. They invested $60 million in guarantees in a new two-year contract this offseason in him, so they trust he can succeed and intend to help with that. Already, Jones is a not the type of quarterback to carry a team, so the Colts certainly will not expect him to do that without a strong run game to complement him. Having Taylor take pressure off Jones will be essential.
Taylor has the fifth-highest salary cap hit on the team this year ($15.5 million), but the Colts still have over $31 million in space, so they have the flexibility to make just about any kind of move that they want. If they intend to re-sign Taylor, they already have nearly $70 million in projected cap space in 2027, with several heavy contracts expiring.
If the Colts trade Taylor, there is no proven player behind him to run the ball. Behind Taylor on the depth chart are DJ Giddens, Seth McGowan, Ulysses Bentley IV, Lincoln Pare, and Anderson Castle. The group has a combined 10 games of NFL experience, with 27 total carries.
READ MORE: COLTS TE PREVIEW: What Will Tyler Warren Produce in Year 2?
Giddens was a promising mid-round pick last year who was active for just nine games. He has some development to do this summer just to earn the right to be active on game days. McGowan was a seventh-round pick this year who could do well in a limited short-yardage and pass protection role.
The Colts have been down this road with Taylor before. The two sides were in a contract dispute in 2023, where Taylor did not play until Week 5 before signing a three-year, $42 million extension. He's taken a different tone this time around, publicly stating he wants to be "a Colt for life," but that doesn't mean things can't change.
The most convincing catalyst for a Taylor trade could be if Taylor wants a new deal and the Colts show no interest in negotiating on his timeline. If the Colts find themselves in a hole ahead of the trade deadline and Taylor wants out, that could certainly ripen the situation.
Still, tempering expectations for a Taylor move would be wise. He's too critical to their 2026 plans.
Continue reading...
Without a consistent quarterback at the helm, running back Jonathan Taylor has arguably been the face of the Indianapolis Colts since being drafted in the second round in 2020.
As a rookie, he broke the franchise's single-game rushing record (253 yards). He's been a First-Team All-Pro and made three Pro Bowls. He led the NFL in rushing yards once and in carries and touchdowns twice. Taylor is currently fifth in NFL history in rushing yards per game (90.5), only behind Hall-of-Famers Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and Eric Dickerson. Taylor broke Edgerrin James' franchise career rushing touchdown record last year and is just over 1,600 rushing yards away from that record as well.
So, no matter how it eventually happens, parting with Taylor will not be an easy decision for the Colts, and they likely won't force it before it's necessary.
Recently, with Taylor entering the final year of his contract, national outlets have begun tossing his name into hypothetical trade scenarios.
Most recently, Ben Solak of ESPN did it. Before that, Bleacher Report's Alex Kay and CBS Sports' Garrett Podell floated the idea of the Colts trading Taylor.
While anything can happen and the Colts trading Taylor certainly isn't an impossibility, here's why it's seriously unlikely.
The Colts Can't Afford to Willingly Part with One of Their Best Players In a Win-Now Season
Winning is urgent for the Colts in 2026. They have an all-hands-on-deck approach now, as missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year could mean that ownership blows things up in 2027 and starts over. Trading away your best offensive weapon, someone who ran more than any other running back last year, is not going to help the Colts win.
READ MORE: See Colts' Results from 7-Round 'Win-Now' Draft
The point has been made in some of these national pieces that the Colts would only consider trading Taylor if the season begins to go sideways. Trading Taylor by the early-November NFL trade deadline would mean the Colts are throwing in the towel with half of their games left to play. They would have to be really bad. Even if things are starting to turn in the wrong direction, you can expect this team to be battling until the final whistle in the fourth quarter in Week 18.
The Colts Should Be Giving Daniel Jones As Much Support As Possible
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is returning from a torn right Achilles suffered last year. They invested $60 million in guarantees in a new two-year contract this offseason in him, so they trust he can succeed and intend to help with that. Already, Jones is a not the type of quarterback to carry a team, so the Colts certainly will not expect him to do that without a strong run game to complement him. Having Taylor take pressure off Jones will be essential.
Taylor Doesn't Strap Them, Financially
Taylor has the fifth-highest salary cap hit on the team this year ($15.5 million), but the Colts still have over $31 million in space, so they have the flexibility to make just about any kind of move that they want. If they intend to re-sign Taylor, they already have nearly $70 million in projected cap space in 2027, with several heavy contracts expiring.
The Colts Have No One Else to Carry the Run Game
If the Colts trade Taylor, there is no proven player behind him to run the ball. Behind Taylor on the depth chart are DJ Giddens, Seth McGowan, Ulysses Bentley IV, Lincoln Pare, and Anderson Castle. The group has a combined 10 games of NFL experience, with 27 total carries.
READ MORE: COLTS TE PREVIEW: What Will Tyler Warren Produce in Year 2?
Giddens was a promising mid-round pick last year who was active for just nine games. He has some development to do this summer just to earn the right to be active on game days. McGowan was a seventh-round pick this year who could do well in a limited short-yardage and pass protection role.
So, What Would Make a Trade More Likely?
The Colts have been down this road with Taylor before. The two sides were in a contract dispute in 2023, where Taylor did not play until Week 5 before signing a three-year, $42 million extension. He's taken a different tone this time around, publicly stating he wants to be "a Colt for life," but that doesn't mean things can't change.
The most convincing catalyst for a Taylor trade could be if Taylor wants a new deal and the Colts show no interest in negotiating on his timeline. If the Colts find themselves in a hole ahead of the trade deadline and Taylor wants out, that could certainly ripen the situation.
Still, tempering expectations for a Taylor move would be wise. He's too critical to their 2026 plans.
Continue reading...
