The outreach lands at an awkward moment for a 2-4 Colts team that fired general manager Chris Ballard a week ago and still has not settled on a deadline plan.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport named the Broncos, Packers, Seahawks and Vikings as the four clubs expected to pursue Taylor if Indianapolis puts him on the block, according to reporting cited by Yahoo Sports. The New York Giants have also been added to the list by The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones.
Colts not yet in sell mode
The Colts are not ready to open the auction. New interim personnel chief Ed Dodds and ownership want “to see what the landscape is like in a few weeks” before engaging teams in trade talks, per Bleacher Report’s summary of Jones’s reporting.
Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon considers Taylor a core piece of any Indianapolis rebuild, and a league source told Pro Football Rumors the franchise is “unlikely to engage in the type of teardown that would include trading franchise stalwarts like Taylor and guard Quenton Nelson.”
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Rival clubs are reportedly ready to offer a second-round pick, though the Colts are expected to demand premium compensation given that Taylor is signed through 2028 rather than a rental.
Why Taylor is the deadline’s biggest name
Taylor, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, agreed to a two-year, $44 million extension in August that keeps him under contract through the 2028 season, the Colts announced. The deal can reach $47 million with incentives and includes $39 million guaranteed.
He has carried the ball 122 times for 492 yards and seven touchdowns through six games this season, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, with career totals of 1,673 carries for 8,090 yards and 76 scores.
A ranking of the reported destinations by Yahoo Sports placed Denver at the top of the list, noting that a trade for Taylor “would clean everything up with a clear three-down workhorse” for a Broncos backfield still looking for one. The Vikings, Seahawks and Packers all entered the deadline window searching for a lead back capable of carrying a playoff push.
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Dodds has a one-to-two-week window
Dodds, promoted after Ballard was dismissed following a home loss to the then-winless Tennessee Titans, must decide within one to two weeks whether Indianapolis chases the AFC South or stockpiles draft capital. The team is also set to send its 2027 first-round pick to the New York Jets to complete the 2025 Sauce Gardner trade, leaving the cupboard thin if the front office does decide to sell.
Head coach Shane Steichen and the rest of the staff outside the personnel department now report directly to ownership under the interim arrangement, with the Colts back in action against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 1 November, the second-to-last matchday before the 10 November deadline.
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