Teams Showing Interest In Colts RB Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor will be a name to watch. Teams are monitoring this situation, with ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder indicating multiple teams are open to acquiring the All-Pro running back. Taylor signed a two-year, $44MM extension this summer, but that deal carries some flexibility after 2026. Though, the Colts would be in for a hefty dead money hit if they moved on this year.

The Taylor extension includes an escape hatch. His $15MM 2027 base salary does not become fully guaranteed until Day 5 of the 2027 waiver period (Feb. 19). If the Colts are willing to take on more than $20MM in dead money this year by moving the recently finalized contract, the deal could appeal to other teams even as it sits third in RB AAV presently.

Taylor, perennial All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner emerged as names to watch ahead of the November 10 deadline. Ballard gave both Taylor and Buckner multiple extensions, while Nelson became the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year guard in 2022. Nelson and Buckner are in contract years; Taylor is signed through 2028.

Despite Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and Aaron Jones entering the NFL three years before Taylor, the Colts RB ranks behind only Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley in rushing yards (8,090) among active backs. Barkley (2018) beat Taylor into the league by two years, but the 2020 second-round pick — save for a bumpy stretch from 2022-23 that included his first run of injury trouble and a de facto hold-in — has been the more reliable player. Teams will understandably explore what the Colts’ price point is now that they look headed toward a rebuild.

Ballard’s final offseason as Colts GM included departures of Zaire Franklin and Michael Pittman Jr. via trade. Both amounted to salary dumps, as the team needed space to afford Jones’ transition tag (and subsequent two-year, $88MM extension) and Pierce’s second contract (four years, $114MM). Indianapolis also let eight-year right tackle Braden Smith walk in free agency before cutting nine-year slot cornerback Kenny Moore.

Teams believe the now-Ed Dodds-run Colts will be open for business at the deadline, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds, but Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s remarks after Ballard’s firing at least pointed to the team not conducting a fire sale just yet. “We have a lot of football in front of us, and I expect us to compete, improve and win football games,” the second-year owner said.

Neither Buckner nor Taylor opted to address trade speculation, but Nelson said (via Holder) he would be interested in staying. Though, the Colts and the future Hall of Fame guard were not believed to be close on extension terms before the season. A summer Trade Rumors Front Office piece pointed to Tyler Linderbaum’s outlier center contract causing problems on the Colts’ Nelson front, and Nelson (30) staying healthy would lead to a lucrative third contract — either from the Colts or in free agency — come 2027.

Defensive tackles Grover Stewart and Jerry Tillery look to be other names to watch here. Chosen in Ballard’s first draft (2017), Stewart is the second-longest-tenured Colt — behind only long snapper Luke Rhodes. Tillery is in his first season with the team, signing as a free agent in March. Nelson is the only player left from the ousted GM’s impact 2018 class, one aimed at supporting then-franchise QB Andrew Luck before his shocking retirement brought a litany of issues. In a piece published before Ballard’s firing, The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones listed the veteran nose tackle as a potential trade candidate.

Taylor completed his second 20-touchdown season in 2025, marking his best year since his 2021 rushing title showing. The 27-year-old also led the NFL in carries last season (323). His 2026 per-carry average (4.0) is down a bit from his 17-game result last year (4.9), but the Wisconsin product playing every game last season and staying healthy thus far this year will give the Colts an interesting decision to make.