The Jonathan Taylor trade rumors are picking up a lot of steam heading into the Indianapolis Colts‘ Week 8 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Saturday morning revealed that the Colts are seemingly more open to a trade with Taylor than before, and it looks like a trade is very much on the table for Indianapolis. So, with the odds of a deal increasing, will Taylor even play in Week 8?
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Taylor is still set to play for the Colts on Sunday. So, with that in mind, why are the Colts, despite the trade rumors picking up a lot of steam lately, not benching Taylor?
Why Jonathan Taylor is still set to play for Colts despite trade rumors heating up
“As of now, Jonathan Taylor IS playing tomorrow,” Holder reports. “No deal is imminent, and I imagine they want to send the message that they are willing to keep him (which I do believe is true).”
So, while conventional wisdom might suggest that the Colts should bench Taylor and protect him from getting hurt and ruining his trade value, the Colts still plan to play the star running back on Sunday.
One of the reasons, as Holder notes, is to prove to other teams around the NFL that they’re willing to keep Taylor. Benching him would prove that they fully intend to trade him away.
The Colts wouldn’t bench a star player like Taylor if a trade weren’t already completed or agreed upon. If Taylor doesn’t play, the Colts tip their hand and would effectively ruin the leverage they have in trade talks.
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Benching Taylor without having a trade in place would be a mistake. Besides, there’s still a decent chance Taylor won’t be traded, even as these rumors heat up Saturday morning.
If they benched him but ended up keeping him, their decision to sit him in Week 8 would look a lot stranger than if they play him in Week 8 and then trade him the following week.
At the end of the day, the Colts are planning to play Taylor in Week 8 against the AFC South rival Jaguars, despite trade rumors picking up a lot of steam about the star RB.
They are running the risk of injury with Taylor, but they can limit his reps in this game to preserve his health, while still giving him a chance to see the field for what could be the final time with the Colts.
This Colts team is selling, as they’ve already shipped out Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and Josh Downs has requested a trade. Taylor might be on the move, and that could still be the case even if he plays on Sunday.
