The Vikings are still unbeaten, but that hasn’t stopped them from looking for help.
Minnesota has already started exploring the trade market, and according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, “conversations should only accelerate” as teams get a clearer read on where they stand in the season. The timing makes sense for a club that just beat the Colts in Week 7 and remains undefeated, even while the offense has hit some rough patches.
That inconsistency is part of why running back and offensive line help are now the two areas worth watching. Lewis pointed to both positions as “worth eyeing” over the next two weeks, and the logic is pretty clear: the Vikings have failed to top 20 points in three of their first six games.
At running back, Aaron Jones has been dealing with an MCL sprain since Week 2 and took on another knee injury in Week 7, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. With Jones now 31, Minnesota could use more insurance next to him and Jordan Mason.
Up front, the interior line took another hit when G Donovan Jackson suffered a torn meniscus, opening a hole in the middle of the offensive line.
Lewis also mentioned defensive tackle as another area where Minnesota could use more proven depth, especially with rookies Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange in the mix.
If the Vikings do go hunting for a running back, Colts star Jonathan Taylor is the biggest name floating around. Eagles G Landon Dickerson and Texans G Wyatt Teller are the top interior offensive line options listed in our Midseason Trade Block, too. Plenty of teams have shown interest in Taylor if Indianapolis decides to move him, though Minnesota has not been specifically linked in those reports.
Taylor, 27, was a second-round pick by the Colts in 2020 out of Wisconsin. He was in the final year of his four-year, $7,829,150 rookie deal, which included a $3,253,928 signing bonus, when Indianapolis gave him a three-year, $42 million extension with $26.5 million guaranteed.
He was due to make a base salary of $11.98 million in 2026, the final year of that contract, before signing a two-year, $44 million extension in camp this year.
Through six games, Taylor has 122 carries for 492 yards, a 4.0 YPC average, and seven touchdowns. He has also caught 15 passes for 163 yards.
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Anthony Richardson Is Running Out Of Chances To Save His NFL Future
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Indianapolis has already moved on in practice and planning with Daniel Jones, which only sharpens the question around Richardsons place in the organization. The talent is still there, and so is the possibility that another team could believe it can unlock him, but the same issues have defined his career so far: accuracy, footwork and decision-making. At this point, the Colts need more than upside from a quarterback who has spent most of his first three years trying to prove he can become the player they drafted. [Read more 🡒]