It’s November 1st, 2026, and the Indianapolis Colts are a complete trainwreck. After a brutal loss to the previously winless Titans, which dropped them to a dismal 2-4 on the young season, owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon did the unthinkable: she fired GM Chris Ballard. This is just her first firing, but with head coach Shane Steichen still sitting on a scorching hot seat after four seasons with zero postseason trips, it feels like this whole situation is about to get even crazier.
Indy’s Implosion Means a Star Could Be Moving
Let’s be real, the Colts are nowhere near where Irsay-Gordon expects them to be. Daniel Jones has been a turnover machine, and the defense? Woof. They are plain below average, struggling to rush the passer and defend the run. The numbers don’t lie: 28th in yards per play allowed and 26th in net yards per attempt allowed. It’s ugly. The team is already down a 2027 first-round pick after trading it to the Jets back at the 2025 deadline. All signs point to Indianapolis becoming major sellers, and that means the biggest name of all could be on the block: star running back Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor, at 27 years old, is still absolutely electric. He had a monstrous season last year with 20 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage, and he’s on his way to another huge year. But the man is stuck on a team going nowhere, having only played in one playoff game, way back as a rookie in 2020. It’s a prime example of talent wasted. It’s no surprise then that he headlined Jordan Dajani’s list of five players we’d love to see get a change of scenery before the November 10th trade deadline. This whole situation feels eerily similar to what the Panthers went through with Christian McCaffrey in 2022. McCaffrey was a bit more versatile in the passing game and younger at the time, but he also had a history of injuries. Carolina still pulled in a second, third, fourth, and fifth-round picks from the 49ers in that deal. Imagine what Taylor could command!
Who’s Ready to Make the Call?
So, who’s lining up to grab Taylor? Plenty of teams should be. The New York Giants are one team that has reportedly been floated, and it makes sense. They just used a four-running-back committee last Sunday against the Saints and then dropped Najee Harris, who apparently wasn’t thrilled with the rotation. Their coach, John Harbaugh, even mentioned he’d “love” a “Derrick Henry circumstance or a ‘Saquon Barkley circumstance.” Whether he meant it or not, Giants fans had to feel a pang hearing him name-drop a former Giant and an elite back in the same breath. Taylor could absolutely be that kind of game-changer for them.
A mock trade has the Giants getting Jonathan Taylor, with the Colts receiving running back Cam Skattebo, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2028 fourth-round pick. That’s a decent haul for a team in full rebuild mode, and it would immediately give the Giants the type of back Harbaugh is clearly dreaming of. Beyond the Giants, teams like the Broncos and even our own Seahawks have been mentioned in the chatter as potential suitors.
The clock is ticking, Seattle. The November 10th trade deadline is just around the corner. Will Jonathan Taylor escape the Colts’ nightmare, and who will be the team bold enough to go get him? This could dramatically shift the balance for any team looking to make a serious run this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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