The Colts’ sell-off may not be done yet, and two more names are drawing real attention as the deadline approaches: Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs.
After moving G Quenton Nelson and DT DeForest Buckner following a 2-6 start, Indianapolis is expected to keep listening on deals, with some around the league believing the team is “fine tearing it down to the studs” by dealing multiple players. On The Pivot podcast, Jordan Schultz laid out where things stand with Taylor and Downs.
Taylor is the bigger swing piece, and Schultz said five to six teams have been “aggressively pursuing” him. Among the clubs he named were the Giants, Packers, Broncos, Seahawks, Bengals and Vikings. Schultz also said he believes Taylor is open to a fresh start and expects the Colts’ asking price - a second-round pick plus - to be met.
Downs, meanwhile, appears to have a different market. Schultz said Indianapolis wants a third-round pick for the receiver, though he ultimately expects him to be moved for a fourth-rounder. He named the Steelers, Colts and Commanders as possible landing spots, while noting that more teams could enter the mix because of Downs’ skill set and expiring contract.
Schultz said the Colts “have officially entered a full-on rebuild,” a process he believes was pushed further along by the 42-7 Week 8 loss.
Taylor, 27, has been with Indianapolis since the team took him in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Wisconsin. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $7,829,150 rookie contract, which included a $3,253,928 signing bonus, when the Colts gave him a three-year, $42 million extension with $26.5 million guaranteed. He was then set to make a base salary of $11.98 million in 2026, the last year of that deal, before signing a two-year, $44 million extension in camp this year.
Through eight games in 2026, Taylor has rushed 148 times for 610 yards, good for 4.1 yards per carry, and eight touchdowns. He has also added 21 catches for 202 yards.
Downs, 25, came into the league after a two-year starting run at North Carolina, where he earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2021 and 2022. He declared for the 2023 NFL Draft after his junior season, and the Colts selected him in the third round with the No. 79 overall pick.
He is in the final year of a four-year, $5,520,458 rookie contract that included a $1,014,879 signing bonus. In eight games this season, Downs has 30 receptions on 51 targets for 330 yards, an 11.0 yards per catch average, and one touchdown.
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