On a trade deadline day that had the NFL watching Indianapolis closely, the latest word on Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor was pretty muted.
The Colts have already moved DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson, so it wouldn’t have been a shock to see more familiar names come up in talks. Josh Downs and Grover Stewart are drawing interest, but the bigger headline names have been Jones and Taylor.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder offered an update that points away from a deal for either one. As Holder put it: "On the Colts + the trade deadline: At THIS moment, I believe it would take a significant shift for either Jonathan Taylor or Daniel Jones to end up being traded today,"
That doesn’t lock anything in place, and Holder made clear things could still change. But for now, the sense is that neither player is likely to move, which is not exactly the kind of momentum Indianapolis was hoping for.
Taylor remains the more obvious trade chip, especially after reports that the Colts already turned down a second- and fifth-round pick from the New York Giants. The question now is whether another team can top that kind of offer. Interest may still be out there, with the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots mentioned as possible suitors after injuries at running back, but a deal is far from certain.
Jones has also been floated as a name to watch, and the Minnesota Vikings suddenly make sense as a possible landing spot after former Colts QB Carson Wentz struggled badly on Monday Night Football. Even so, the update suggests Indianapolis is not close to moving him either.
The Colts may still make a move or two before the deadline passes. But for the two biggest names in the conversation, the expectation right now is that they stay put.
In Other News...
Colts Fans Are Staring At An Uncomfortable Daniel Jones Decision
Daniel Jones has spent much of this season trying to steady an offense that has not found much consistency, and the Colts are still weighing what comes next at quarterback. His recent stretch has included multiple games under 200 passing yards, and the broader line on his season is hard to ignore: six touchdowns against 10 interceptions over nine games, a profile that has done little to calm the frustration around a disappointing year.
Inside the organization, there is at least some discussion about whether Anthony Richardson should get more playing time as another option under center. For Colts fans, the bigger issue is not just Jones' numbers, but whether the current setup gives the team any real chance to change the direction of a season that has already slipped. The quarterback picture remains unsettled, and the next move figures to say plenty about how the Colts view the rest of this year. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Already Have A Painful Sauce Gardner Problem
The Colts made a massive bet on Sauce Gardner, sending two first-round picks and a wide receiver to New York in the hope they were landing the kind of shutdown corner who can change a defense overnight. Instead, the early returns have been uneasy, with Gardner not yet looking like the elite answer Indianapolis envisioned when it paid such a steep price to bring him in.
The concern only grew after a recent game against Dallas, where a costly coverage breakdown became part of the larger frustration around the move. When a team surrenders premium draft capital for a player of Gardners caliber, every missed assignment and every shaky sequence gets magnified, and right now the Colts are left trying to justify a deal whose long-term cost is becoming harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Face QB Uncertainty As Vikings Search For Help
The quarterback market is starting to stir ahead of the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline, and Indianapolis has suddenly found itself part of the conversation. Minnesota is reportedly exploring ways to add a quarterback, with NFL Networks Ian Rapoport pointing to Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones as possible targets as the Vikings look for help.
For the Colts, the immediate wrinkle is Jones, who had been mentioned as a fit in the rumor mill. Indianapolis has already made clear it is not moving him, even as Minnesota continues to search for options and the deadline clock keeps ticking. The Vikings may still chase a deal, but for now the Colts stance leaves one potential avenue closed. [Read more 🡒]
