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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Jonathan Taylor saga with the Indianapolis Colts has been a whirlwind.
After firing longtime GM Chris Ballard and with the team in the midst of another losing season, many thought a full-blown fire sale was coming. Not long after, the Colts traded away their best offensive lineman, All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, and best defensive lineman, All-Pro tackle DeForest Buckner. Wide receiver Josh Downs then requested a trade, and rumors have been heating up surrounding Taylor ever since, even though the team signed him to a two-year, $44 million extension just three months ago.
Indianapolis has reportedly received multiple calls about the star running back, with teams like the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers all desperate for a true difference-maker at the position. However, the Colts' asking price is high: either a first-round pick or multiple Day 2 picks, similar to the 49ers' trade for Christian McCaffrey, which included a second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round pick. And with the NFL trade deadline just over 24 hours away, Indianapolis is losing leverage by the minute.
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On Monday's episode of "Get Up," ESPN's Adam Schefter was quick to call out the Colts for their "contradictory" stance on Taylor and the message they're sending amid ongoing trade rumors.
"There are contradicting messages all across the board. The Indianapolis Colts say they don't want to trade Jonathan Taylor. They want to hold on to him, but then they don't play him as much in the game [on Sunday]," Schefter said. "They say they don't want to trade him, and there are no conversations. But there is Jonathan Taylor essentially bidding farewell to the city of Indianapolis, thanking them for the time that he gave them and letting the city know how much it meant to him to play there and to start a family there.
"There has been trade discussions that have gone on between the Colts and other teams, multiple other teams. They've traded their Pro Bowl guard, who blocked for him. They traded their captain on the defensive line. Then you're going to turn around to a player who didn't answer the question about whether he wants to be traded when we know he does and say, you're going to stay here while we rebuild this roster where they're trying to get as many picks as they can. And the player that can get them the most picks, then they wouldn't move. So the whole thing is a little bit contradictory and doesn't make a lot of sense. In the end, just as a thoughtful person, I just say to myself, how do they not trade him?"
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Taylor's production has dipped over the last couple of weeks as trade rumors have heated up. This past Sunday, in the Colts' 27-23 loss to the Cowboys, he rushed for just 46 yards on 13 carries (3.5 yards per carry) and was outplayed by seventh-round rookie Seth McGowan. The week before, in their 42-7 loss to Jacksonville, Taylor rushed for just 23 yards on eight carries (2.9 yards per carry). The team hasn't been using him as much, which is a strange approach given that it's trying to get as much value as possible in a potential blockbuster trade for him.
Things got even stranger on Sunday when, after the loss to Dallas, Taylor effectively bid farewell to the city, thanking fans for all their support and seemingly acknowledging that it could have been his final game as a Colt.
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Taylor appears to be preparing for a trade, the Colts are rebuilding, and multiple teams have reportedly already made offers. It seems obvious to many that the former rushing champion will be traded, but the way Indianapolis has handled the situation is making it difficult for any team to justify paying a premium for him. At this point, the Colts may have to take the best offer they can get, which is a very different position from where they stood just two weeks ago.
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