Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET NFL trade deadline is closing in fast, and Jonathan Taylor is the player most likely to define it. The Colts running back is at the center of late talks that could still produce one of the biggest moves of the season.
That is why the search interest is spiking now. Several major deals are already done, and the market has shifted from possibility to pressure. Quenton Nelson has already moved from the Colts to the Seahawks, DeForest Buckner went from Indianapolis to San Francisco, and Jeffery Simmons was dealt from Tennessee to Chicago, so the deadline is no longer theoretical. Taylor, a Pro Bowl running back, is the next name drawing attention.
After the Broncos beat the Chiefs in Week 8 and Taylor had limited participation in the Colts’ blowout loss to Jacksonville, it looked as if Denver was moving closer to a deal. But the asking price may be the real obstacle. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that it could take a first-round pick, or a package at the level of the Christian McCaffrey-trade value, to get a trade done. That is a steep bar for any team weighing a late move.
The Broncos are still not being ruled out, which keeps the negotiations alive. If Denver and Indianapolis cannot close the gap, the Giants and Seahawks are the teams to keep an eye on. Seattle has not found an offensive rhythm since losing Kenneth Walker III, and Sam Darnold has missed several games this year because of injuries, which adds more moving parts to a market already stretched by the clock.
The bigger story is that the deadline now feels like a real test of how far teams are willing to go for a player of Taylor’s caliber. Negotiations are still far from over, and that leaves Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET as the one moment that will settle whether the Colts keep him or the Broncos, or another team, pay the price to land him.
