Jonathan Taylor says the trade chatter around him has not changed anything, even after his wife, Ayanna Taylor, posted two TikTok videos over the weekend asking whether he could be moved before the NFL trade deadline. After the Indianapolis Colts’ 16-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis on Sunday, Taylor said he is focused on work and not worried about the noise.
That response landed at a moment when the speculation has real weight. Taylor ran for 95 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries against Minnesota, and the score was his 77th rushing touchdown, a franchise record for the Colts. He has long been viewed as one of the most valuable names that could move before Nov. 10, the deadline that will decide whether a contender makes a push or the Colts keep their roster intact.
Ayanna Taylor made the conversation public over the weekend, telling viewers, “We’re in a situation that we’ve never been in before,” and adding that this could be the first time “we may not be on the same team, and we might get traded.” She also asked fans, “Are we gonna stay on the Colts?” and argued that the team’s losing record and front-office shake-up make a move possible. Carlie Irsay-Gordon fired Chris Ballard last week, a reminder of how quickly the ground has shifted around the franchise.
That backdrop matters because Taylor is not a short-term rental. He signed a two-year, $44 million extension in August and is under contract through the 2028 season, which means any decision would be about direction, not just timing. Ballard once traded up to draft Taylor in the second round in 2020, but the current Colts are 2-5 after the loss to Minnesota, and the deadline now sits one week away. Taylor said last week that he had not given the rumors any thought, and after Sunday’s game he made the same point in a different way: the noise does not change his routine. What happens next is straightforward. By Nov. 10, the Colts must decide whether Jonathan Taylor remains part of their future or becomes one of the biggest names moved at the deadline.
