The Colts have reached the kind of trade deadline that only comes around when a season has gone sideways fast. At 2-7, with Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner already shipped out, Indianapolis is staring at a full reset and a front office that has to think about draft capital before anything else.
That’s the backdrop for everything between now and the November 10 deadline at 4 pm ET. The Colts need picks, and that means every movable piece has to be on the table - even if the idea of parting with some of them feels uncomfortable.
Jonathan Taylor is the name that jumps out first. A deal doesn’t sound likely, but it’s the move Indianapolis should at least entertain.
Seth McGowan has already shown he can handle backup duty, and Taylor’s production has only reinforced the obvious: even a great running back doesn’t automatically drag a team to wins. If someone comes calling with a second-round pick and a fourth-rounder, the Colts ought to take it and keep building for what comes next instead of hanging onto the past.
Josh Downs is another player worth watching, especially after reportedly asking for a trade. He hasn’t helped his case lately, with two rough games in a row and two costly drops against the Dallas Cowboys.
Downs still has value as a slot receiver, but the margin for error is gone. Indianapolis may have hoped for a third-round pick, but his recent play could push that return down to a fourth.
Even that would beat letting him walk in free agency next year.
Daniel Jones is a different sort of case. It’s hard to make a strong argument for moving him based on performance this season, but the quarterback spot always changes the math.
The Minnesota Vikings are floated as a possible landing spot, and Jones’ half-season there in 2024 gives the idea some logic. He knows the offense, and the fit could make sense for a team that might be playoff-bound and desperate enough to explore options.
The Colts have reportedly told Jones they won’t trade him, but if the right offer arrives, they should listen. He isn’t the long-term answer at QB1, and Indianapolis could save $38 million in 2027 by trading or releasing him.
Not everyone with value is actually available, though. Laiatu Latu has had a quiet season overall, even if Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys offered a better sign with a sack and more consistent pressure.
Still, he isn’t going anywhere. As a 2024 first-round pick, the Colts control him through 2028, including the fifth-year option that is almost certain to be picked up next offseason.
He’s the type of player a rebuilding team tries to acquire, not move.
The same goes for Sauce Gardner, even if he could theoretically bring back a strong package. The Colts wouldn’t get two first-round picks for him, and a second-rounder plus a 2028 Day 2 or early Day 3 pick would be the kind of return that makes sense for a cornerback who is about to get expensive.
But if he were an edge rusher, the calculus would be different. At corner, he’s more replaceable.
Adetomiwa Adebawore also belongs in the untouchable group after his recent extension. The move locked in a young interior defensive lineman who is supposed to help replace DeForest Buckner, and at 25 years old, he fits the kind of future the Colts need to be chasing. He might have had trade value, but there was no reason to move him when the team would just have to find someone similar to take his place.
If Indianapolis does keep shopping, there are a few teams that make sense as callers. The Vikings could be in the market for quarterback help, and Jones is the obvious name to monitor there.
Seattle is another fit, especially with acting general manager Ed Dodds having a previous working relationship with John Schneider; that connection already helped in the Nelson deal, and it could matter again if the Seahawks want Josh Downs to help Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Denver is the team that stands out for Taylor.
The Broncos may be getting only pedestrian quarterback play from Bo Nix, but they’re still viewed as a Super Bowl-caliber roster, and adding a back like Taylor would give them a real boost. They won’t part with a first-round pick, but multiple selections could get the Colts’ attention - as long as one of them is a second-rounder.
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The Colts have made their stance on Daniel Jones unmistakably clear as the NFL trade deadline approaches. After a stretch of trade chatter and outside interest, Indianapolis informed Jones it will not move him, and the plan remains for him to stay in place as the starting quarterback.
It is a notable show of confidence for a player who has posted career-best numbers with the Colts, even as his production has dipped in recent weeks. For a team trying to settle its quarterback situation, the decision keeps the spotlight on Jones and leaves Indianapolis committed to riding out whatever comes next with him under center. [Read more 🡒]
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Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones sit right in the middle of that discussion, which makes this matchup feel like more than a routine chance to clean things up against a Dallas defense that has its own issues. A win would help steady the mood, but the Colts are also staring at the possibility that how they manage this week could say as much about their long-term plan as the final score does. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Taylor Just Reopened The Colts Biggest Trade Deadline Question
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For the Colts, the timing makes this a particularly uncomfortable storyline to revisit. Taylor did not ask for a trade, but the fact that his future remains unresolved keeps one of Indianapolis biggest deadline questions alive, with the clock still ticking and no clear answer yet on whether he will be part of the team beyond this week. [Read more 🡒]