Jonathan Taylor stays with Colts: Why Indianapolis demanded a first-round pick

Jonathan Taylor isn't going anywhere. The Indianapolis Colts decided to keep their 27-year-old, three-time Pro Bowl running back at the 2026 NFL trade deadline. The Colts turned down offers of second-round picks and more for Taylor, indicating they required at least a first-round pick to trade him away, according to Tom Pelissero.

Basically, it seems like Indianapolis turned down trade offers comparable to what the San Francisco 49ers sent the Carolina Panthers in 2022 to acquire running back Christian McCaffrey, who was 26. Back then, San Francisco sent Carolina the following picks: a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

So why would the Colts walk away from such a deal for Taylor? Let's break it down.

The Colts are overcompensating in their Taylor trade demands after not getting market value for Quenton Nelson (a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks). They also don't have their own first-round pick ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 NFL Draft because they traded it to the New York Jets a year ago to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner. That's why Indianapolis probably rebuffed trade packages that lacked first-round picks: they were trying to clean up their mistake from last year's trade deadline.

Also, Taylor is one of the best running backs of his generation: he averages the fifth-most rushing yards per game (88.8) in NFL history. It's understandable why Indianapolis maintained the stance that they won't trade him away for anything less than a first-round pick.

Most rushing yards per game, NFL historyRush YPG

Jim Brown

104.3

Barry Sanders

99.8

Terrell Davis

97.5

Eric Dickerson

90.8

Jonathan Taylor

88.8

Walter Payton

88.0