The Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings are among the potential trade suitors for star running back Jonathan Taylor following the Indianapolis Colts’ firing of general manager Chris Ballard, ESPN reported over the weekend.
According to the report, the Colts (2-5) will wait to see how their next three games unfold ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Following Sunday’s 16-10 loss to Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis visits the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday before returning home to face the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 8.
If the Colts are unable to turn their season around during that stretch, new chief of personnel Ed Dodds will work with owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon and the front office to devise a plan that could involve shifting resources toward the future, according to the report. Irsay-Gordon would prefer not to trade Taylor as part of a rebuild, per the report, but the possibility remains that the former first-team All-Pro could be playing elsewhere next month.
Despite Taylor signing a two-year, $44 million contract extension in August, teams view the three-time Pro Bowl selection as a major trade target. Taylor, 27, is owed the remainder of his nearly $7 million base salary this season, followed by $16 million in 2027 and nearly $18 million in 2028.
Entering Week 7, Taylor had rushed for 492 yards and seven touchdowns through the first six games of the season. He added 95 yards and the Colts’ lone touchdown on 18 carries against Minnesota.
In his seventh NFL season since the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft, Taylor has rushed for 8,185 yards and 77 touchdowns in 91 games (85 starts). He also has 204 receptions for 1,647 yards and seven receiving touchdowns.