Jonathan Taylor is done watching the Colts shoot themselves in the foot. Sunday’s 27-23 loss to Dallas dropped Indy to an ugly 2-7, cementing their fifth straight defeat.
As the lone Pro Bowl weapon on a broken offense, the franchise running back has outgrown the dysfunction. And he can read the situation clearly.
With Tuesday’s trade deadline looming and this Colts team firmly in fire-sale territory, Taylor didn’t bother feeding reporters the company line at the podium, delivering what sounded an awful lot like a parting goodbye to Indy.
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“I think you play every game like it’s your last, but at the end of the day this has been a spot where I grew up,” Taylor said.
“I think I mentioned this to you guys, like you go to college, you’re a young man, but you really grew up, you started a family and you really embraced this city, the people, and you’re just like … this place helped shape me into the man I am today. If it is [my last game], I’m very grateful for the city of Indianapolis.”
Taylor continued, “I just hope that they appreciate and know that I appreciate them and it was a pleasure to put on display not only my hard work but the team’s hard work each and every single week, each and every single year. Just know it was a pleasure.”
Before Sunday’s kickoff, Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported that the team hottest on Taylor’s trail, the New York Giants, pulled their trade proposal. New York had put a second- and fifth-round pick package on the table with extra compensation, but backed off after the Colts held out for a first-rounder. That steep asking price remains the sticking point, but other contenders like Denver and Cincinnati are lingering — both clubs could use a premier bell-cow back to supercharge a postseason run.
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The three-time Pro Bowler already took home the NFL rushing crown in 2021 with over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he delivered another monster campaign in 2025 with nearly 1,600 yards on the ground.
The Colts already fired GM Chris Ballard and shipped off locker room leaders Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner for future draft capital. Taylor remains under contract through 2028, giving Indy leverage.
Unless the front office lowers its demands before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. (ET) cutoff, Taylor will stay trapped in Indianapolis, carrying an offense that cannot stop beating itself.
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