Leading up to the 2026 NFL trade deadline, one of the most talked-about players who could be on the move was Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
There were plenty of teams linked to the star running back, and the New York Giants even had a trade offer on the table that included a second-round pick.
But after all of the speculation and rumors, Tom Pelissero of The Ringer is reporting the Colts will be keeping Taylor. Why are the Colts keeping him? There are a couple of reasons why Taylor is sticking in Indianapolis.
Why Colts are not trading Jonathan Taylor
“The Colts won’t trade star RB Jonathan Taylor by today’s deadline, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports,” Pelissero reports. “Multiple teams offered a second-round pick and more for Taylor. But the Colts wanted a blockbuster offer to even consider it.”
While the Colts made Taylor available and had trade conversations with interested teams leading up to the deadline, they’ve decided against trading away Taylor at this year’s deadline.
Why? Well, the Colts wanted a king’s ransom to move on from Taylor, and they didn’t end up getting it. While the second-round pick and more offered by the Giants was appealing, the Colts might’ve been holding firm at a first-round pick, or close to it.
MORE: Jaguars reportedly acquiring Falcons’ Pro Bowl safety in major trade
Maybe if a team offered a second- and a third-round pick for Taylor, the Colts might’ve moved on from their star running back. But with the Colts not getting any offers of that caliber, they’re holding onto the RB through the trade deadline.
With Taylor under contract after the 2026 season, the Colts can revisit a trade during the offseason, or they could simply decide to keep him as part of the team’s rebuild.
The Taylor trade saga might not be over just yet, but for the 2026 NFL trade deadline, Taylor is set to stick in Indianapolis despite interest from many teams around the NFL.
Between the Colts not getting the offers they wanted for Taylor, and the chance to revisit trades over the offseason, the Colts have elected to keep Taylor despite plenty of trade speculation leading up to the trade deadline.
