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One Offer, Pulled: The Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks

November 8, 2026

As of Sunday, November 8, no deal for Jonathan Taylor has been agreed,2324 and no report in the nine days of coverage has described a deal as imminent;4 Taylor played against the Dallas Cowboys on November 8.28 Indianapolis was expected to take the best offer on the table for Taylor before the deadline, Pro Football Talk reported on November 8.30 The one offer with a team and terms attached in the reporting was the New York Giants': a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick, rejected by Indianapolis and taken off the table by New York, Jay Glazer reported on November 8.23 The trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10, at 3:00 PM Central.26

Taylor's trade tree holds one trade. On April 24, 2020, Cleveland sent the No. 41 pick of the 2020 draft to Indianapolis, and Indianapolis used it on Taylor. Indianapolis sent back the No. 44 pick, which Cleveland used on Grant Delpit, and the No. 160 pick, which Cleveland used on Nick Harris. The 2020 Browns–Colts trade is the tree's only trade, and the nine days of reporting were about whether a second trade joins it.1

Open for talks on October 31

Indianapolis was open to trading Taylor, with talks "active and ongoing" and multiple teams reaching out, Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported on October 31.2 The Athletic's Jonathan Jones named Minnesota and the New York Giants as the favorites to land Taylor in his October 31 reporting.3 Five teams appeared as interested in the October 31 reports: Minnesota, the Giants, Denver, Green Bay, and Seattle.35 The reported price sat near the package San Francisco sent Carolina for Christian McCaffrey in 2022, per ESPN.3 Minnesota's cap space, about $6.3 million per Over the Cap, was reported as a problem for a Minnesota deal: Taylor did not fit under the Vikings' cap without contract work or Indianapolis absorbing salary, per Jones.3

An offer report followed on October 31. Indianapolis had turned down an offer of a 2027 second-round pick plus another selection, Tom Pelissero reported; no team was attached to the offer in the reporting.45 Taylor's perceived value around the league was a second-round pick plus another selection, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.4 No deal was imminent on October 31, per Stephen Holder, and Taylor was expected to play on November 1 at Jacksonville.4

November 1: a check-in, a contradiction, and a game at Jacksonville

Cincinnati had checked in on Taylor, Jordan Schultz reported, and Schultz's sources put a trade as more likely than not.6 Kansas City was monitoring the Taylor situation, per James Palmer of NFL on Prime.6 Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports reported on November 1 that Indianapolis was still not actively pursuing a trade. The report conflicted with the October 31 openness report and with Schultz's lean toward a trade.6

Taylor played at Jacksonville on November 1. He carried eight times for 23 yards and played 38 snaps in a 42-7 Indianapolis loss.7

Seattle's interest, and two prices

Seattle's interest in Taylor "started and ended" in initial conversations with Indianapolis interim general manager Ed Dodds, Corbin K. Smith of Emerald City Spectrum reported on November 1, citing a Colts-connected source. The conversations turned to guard Quenton Nelson, the acquisition Seattle's John Schneider considered more desirable, and Nelson was traded to Seattle on October 27 for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.817 On Smith's reporting, Seattle's interest may have been preliminary rather than evidence of an ongoing pursuit.8

A general manager believed Indianapolis wanted a second-round pick for Taylor and called that "a reasonable ask," Jason La Canfora reported on November 2. La Canfora wrote that he expected Taylor to be traded, and an executive he cited suggested the Broncos.9 The second-round belief sat against Pelissero's October 31 report: an offer at that level, a 2027 second-round pick plus another selection, had been turned down.45

November 2: prefer to hold, and five to six teams pursuing

Indianapolis would prefer to hold onto Taylor but was "active and engaging" in trade talks, Adam Schefter reported on Monday, November 2, naming Minnesota, the Giants, Denver, and Green Bay.10

Five to six teams had been "aggressively pursuing" Taylor, Jordan Schultz said on The Pivot: the Giants, Green Bay, Denver, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Minnesota. Schultz put the price at at least a second-round pick plus additional compensation. He said Taylor would be open to a fresh start, and he expected a deal to happen.10 Schultz's list carried Seattle one day after Smith had reported Seattle's interest ended.810

November 4: a guess reverses, and the Giants' missing picks

The benchmark in the reporting was the McCaffrey trade of October 20, 2022: San Francisco sent Carolina a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick, and a 2024 fifth-round pick for Christian McCaffrey.1227 The site's record of the trade lists the picks Carolina received: the second-rounder was No. 61, which became Brenton Strange; the third-rounder No. 93, Darnell Washington; the fourth-rounder No. 132, Nick Herbig; the fifth-rounder No. 166, Tyrone Tracy Jr.27

On his podcast on Wednesday, November 4, Adam Schefter said Indianapolis had offers for Taylor and was waiting to see whether teams sweetened them. His guess, in his words: "And I think in the end, whether it's today, this week, next week, I think in the end they decide to move Jonathan Taylor. That's my guess."11 The guess reversed the position Schefter had reported on November 2, when Indianapolis would prefer to hold onto Taylor.10

Indianapolis was "still asking for a lot" and taking the stance that it did not need to move Taylor, Dan Graziano reported on November 4.12 Executives valued Taylor at a second-round pick plus another selection, per Jeremy Fowler on November 4, against a possible holdout for first-round value. An AFC executive told Fowler, "They want a bunch."1312 Teams had told Jordan Schultz that the Giants held no fourth-round or fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft, and those picks were believed to be essential to a Taylor deal.14 "It is very, very clear the Giants want him," Connor Hughes of SNY reported.15

Taylor would continue in his usual role, Shane Steichen said on Tuesday, November 3, with no change to the plan for the November 8 game against Dallas.165 Steichen noted Taylor's 38 snaps in the November 1 loss at Jacksonville.16 Arizona had held Marvin Harrison Jr. out after a trade was agreed with Houston; Steichen said there had been no conversations to that effect between him and the Indianapolis front office.16

November 5–6: a standstill, an expectation, and an unnamed team

Indianapolis planned to wait until after the November 8 game against Dallas to evaluate the offers on its table, Jordan Schultz reported on November 5. The plan left November 9 and November 10 for deals. Schultz named Taylor among the Indianapolis players in the report, and a separate November 5 entry on the tracker listed Grover Stewart among the Colts drawing calls.5

Talks on Taylor and the other Indianapolis candidates had reached a standstill, Ian Rapoport reported on November 5 on Good Morning Football. Several teams were interested and willing to offer a significant pick package, but "maybe not quite what (Colts interim GM) Ed Dodds…or the organization wants." Rapoport added that Indianapolis would prefer to keep Taylor and build around him, and that a big package would be required to change that.12 Taylor would take the field against Dallas on November 8, Steichen said, per Stephen Holder: "He's on our football team and he's excited for this opportunity to go play."4

Taylor spoke on November 5. The speculation had become part of his weekly routine, he said: "regular schedule programming." Asked to clarify that he had not requested a trade, Taylor began with "Yeah" and turned to the Dallas preparation: "At this point, it's really just the hay is in the barn now. We're preparing for the Dallas Cowboys."17

"My understanding is Jonathan Taylor expects to be traded," James Palmer reported on NFL on Prime Video's postgame coverage on Thursday night, November 5. Palmer listed Minnesota, the Giants, Green Bay, and Denver as suitors, and said offers had been made with Indianapolis not satisfied with the packages.18

Indianapolis wanted a first-round pick or a package similar to the McCaffrey return, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on November 6. The Giants, Denver, and Minnesota had inquired, and none of the three had met the asking price. The Giants had offered enough for Breer to call them "a serious suitor."20 A team Adam Schefter had not heard linked to Taylor texted him about Taylor on the morning of November 6, Schefter reported on November 6. Schefter did not name the team. No report gathered through November 8 identified it.19

November 7: the direct contradiction

The most likely destination for Taylor was staying in Indianapolis, Tom Pelissero reported in The Sweep on November 7, and only a blockbuster offer no team had made could change that. No team had come close to the equivalent of a first-round pick that Indianapolis wanted, Pelissero reported; an offer of a second-round pick and another pick was believed to have come in.214 Taylor is 27, and he signed a two-year, $44 million extension in camp in 2026.242 Indianapolis control of Taylor runs through 2028 under the extension.23

It would be a surprise if Indianapolis held on to Taylor, win or lose against Dallas on November 8, Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported on November 7, the opposite of Pelissero's read on the same day. Jones named Minnesota and the Giants as the co-favorites, with Seattle, Denver, and Green Bay also in the mix, and wrote that he had not gotten the impression Denver or Green Bay would be willing to buy high.22

November 8: the Giants' offer, reported and pulled

The Giants had cooled on Taylor because of the price and had resolved to move on, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reported on November 8. The report came ahead of the Giants' game against Philadelphia on November 8.24

The Giants had offered a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick for Taylor, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on November 8. The fifth-round pick would be a 2028 selection, Dan Duggan of The Athletic observed, because the Giants hold no 2027 fifth-rounder. Indianapolis rejected the offer, New York pulled it, and Glazer agreed a Taylor trade looked unlikely.23

November 8: the Dallas game, and an expected best-offer finish

Indianapolis lost to Dallas 27-23 on November 8, a fifth straight loss that left Indianapolis at 2-7. Taylor carried 13 times for 46 yards, caught five passes for 18 yards, and lost a fourth-quarter fumble.28

John Harbaugh, the Giants' head coach, was asked after New York's 19-11 win over Philadelphia on November 8 about the report that New York had pulled its offer for Taylor. Harbaugh said the Giants were not ruling anything out, that things change from day to day, and that nothing was particularly imminent.29

Asked after the Dallas game whether it was his last game with Indianapolis, Taylor said he was not sure and knew as much as the reporters did. Taylor said he had grown up in Indianapolis and was grateful to the city if the game was his last one there. Asked whether he had requested a trade, Taylor said it really did not matter, a different answer from his November 5 statement that he had not requested a trade.28

Indianapolis was expected to take the best offer on the table for Taylor as the deadline approached, Pro Football Talk reported on November 8, citing the belief in league circles. The Colts would prefer a package at the level San Francisco sent Carolina for Christian McCaffrey, and the return was expected to be set by competition among the teams that made an offer, with a trade expected before the deadline on November 10. The teams linked to Taylor in the report were the Giants, Minnesota, Seattle, Denver, and Green Bay, with San Francisco named as a possible unexpected team.30

What is still open

Three items were open in the reporting as of November 8. The first was the outcome. The Giants were the only team to offer a second-round pick plus additional compensation, per Jordan Schultz's November 8 report. Schultz reported the belief around the league that Indianapolis would likely keep Taylor unless an offer arrived that was too good to turn down. Indianapolis could revisit trade talks in the offseason, Schultz reported.25 Pro Football Talk's November 8 report ran the other way: Indianapolis was expected to take the best offer on the table, with a trade expected before the deadline.30 The second item was the team that texted Schefter on November 6, unnamed in every report gathered through November 8.19 The third was Minnesota's position: Minnesota was a favorite in the October 31 reporting and a co-favorite in Jones's November 7 reporting. Minnesota was not named as the team behind any offer in the reporting gathered through November 8.322 The deadline for any deal is Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 3:00 PM Central.26

Sources

  1. Football Trade Trees — Jonathan Taylor (2020) trade tree — the April 24, 2020 Browns–Colts trade: Cleveland's No. 41 pick to Indianapolis for the No. 44 and No. 160 picks, and the picks' resolutions
  2. Colts Wire — Report: Jonathan Taylor trade talks 'active and ongoing' for Colts (Oct 31, 2026) — Schefter and Rapoport: Indianapolis open to trading Taylor, multiple teams reached out, talks "active and ongoing"; Fowler: Taylor could net a second-round pick and more; the two-year, $44 million extension
  3. Athlon Sports — Vikings are a Jonathan Taylor front-runner, with one big problem in the way (Oct 31, 2026) — Jones: Minnesota and the Giants appear to be the favorites; Minnesota's $6.3 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, and the fit problem; five teams interested; the price close to the McCaffrey return, per ESPN
  4. Pro Football Rumors — Jonathan Taylor player page (entries Oct 31 – Nov 8, 2026) — the October 31 entry: Pelissero's turned-down offer of a second-rounder plus another pick, Fowler's perceived-value rider, Holder's no-deal-imminent and expected-to-play reports; the November 5 entry: Steichen, via Holder, on Taylor playing against Dallas; the November 7 entry: no team close to the first-round-equivalent price
  5. Athlon Sports — Colts trade rumors tracker (entries Oct 31 – Nov 7, 2026) — the October 31 entries: Indianapolis willing to move Taylor, five teams interested; the November 5 entry: Schultz's wait until after the Dallas game; a separate November 5 entry lists Grover Stewart among the Colts drawing calls
  6. Pro Football Rumors — Chiefs, Bengals monitoring Colts' Jonathan Taylor (Nov 1, 2026) — Schultz: Cincinnati checked in, a trade more likely than not; Palmer: Kansas City monitoring; Kinkhabwala: Indianapolis still not actively pursuing a trade
  7. Athlon Sports — How did Jonathan Taylor do? (Nov 1, 2026) — Taylor at Jacksonville: eight carries, 23 yards, 38 snaps in the 42-7 loss
  8. Heavy — Seahawks get new Jonathan Taylor trade update (Smith reported Nov 1; published Nov 2, 2026) — Smith: Seattle's interest "started and ended" in initial talks with interim general manager Ed Dodds; the talks turned to Nelson, traded to Seattle on October 27 for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick; the interest may have been preliminary
  9. Casino.org — NFL insider Jason La Canfora: Colts eyeing 3-4 trades, seeking 2nd-rounder for Jonathan Taylor (Nov 2, 2026) — a general manager believes Indianapolis wants a second-round pick, "a reasonable ask"; La Canfora expects Taylor to be traded; an executive suggested the Broncos
  10. Minnesota Sports Fan — Confirmed: Vikings aggressively pursuing star running back (Nov 2–3, 2026) — Schefter's Monday report, quoted: Indianapolis would prefer to hold onto Taylor, "active and engaging" in talks, four teams named; Schultz on The Pivot, quoted: five to six teams "aggressively pursuing," at least a second-round pick plus additional compensation, a fresh start, an expected deal
  11. Heavy — ESPN's Adam Schefter shares Jonathan Taylor trade update (Nov 4, 2026) — Schefter's podcast, quoted: Indianapolis has offers, is waiting to see whether teams sweeten them, "I think in the end they decide to move Jonathan Taylor. That's my guess."
  12. Sports Illustrated — Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes tracker (Nov 4–5 entries, 2026) — Graziano: Indianapolis "still asking for a lot," does not need to move Taylor; Rapoport, November 5: talks at a standstill, the Good Morning Football quote, Indianapolis would prefer to keep Taylor and build around him
  13. Athlon Sports — Giants have two division games and one deadline to decide on Jonathan Taylor (Nov 6, 2026) — Fowler: executives value Taylor at a second-round pick plus another selection, Indianapolis could be holding out for first-round value, "They want a bunch"
  14. Sports Illustrated — NFL insider: missing draft picks are complicating Giants' trade efforts (2026) — Schultz: teams say the Giants do not have a fourth- or fifth-round pick in 2027, and those picks are believed to be essential to a Taylor deal
  15. Sportsnaut — NY Giants are Jonathan Taylor trade favorites? (Nov 4, 2026) — Hughes, quoted: "it is very, very clear the Giants want him"
  16. TSN — Colts' Shane Steichen defends Jonathan Taylor usage, says RB will keep role (Nov 4, 2026) — Steichen's comments, published November 4: Taylor continues in his usual role, 38 snaps at Jacksonville, no change to the Week 9 Dallas plan; the Harrison Jr. holdout precedent, with no conversations to that effect in Indianapolis
  17. Heavy — Seahawks trade rumors: Jonathan Taylor wants clarity (Nov 5, 2026) — Taylor speaking on November 5: "regular schedule programming"; asked to clarify he had not requested a trade, he began with "Yeah" and turned to the Dallas preparation, "the hay is in the barn"
  18. ClutchPoints — Colts rumors: Jonathan Taylor 'expects to be traded,' insider claims (Nov 6, 2026) — Palmer on NFL on Prime Video, November 5: "My understanding is Jonathan Taylor expects to be traded"; Minnesota, the Giants, Green Bay, and Denver named; offers made, Indianapolis not satisfied with the packages
  19. The Spun — Adam Schefter strongly hints at surprise suitor for Jonathan Taylor trade (Nov 6, 2026) — Schefter on November 6, quoted: a team he had not heard linked to Taylor texted him about Taylor; the team unnamed
  20. NBC Sports — Giants serious about JT, Vikings, Broncos less so (Nov 6, 2026) — Breer: Indianapolis wants a first-round pick or a McCaffrey-similar package; the Giants, Broncos, and Vikings inquired; none met the price; the Giants offered enough to be "a serious suitor"
  21. NBC Sports — Jonathan Taylor trade rumors: Vikings and Broncos among potential landing spots (Nov 7, 2026 update) — Pelissero in The Sweep, quoted: the most likely destination is staying in Indianapolis, and only a blockbuster offer no team has made could change that
  22. Athlon Sports — Giants among front-runners for Jonathan Taylor as deadline looms (Nov 7, 2026) — Jones: it would be a surprise if the Colts held on to Taylor; Minnesota and the Giants the co-favorites; Seattle, Green Bay, and Denver in the mix; no impression Denver or Green Bay would buy high
  23. Pro Football Rumors — Colts rejected Giants' offer of second- and fifth-rounder for RB Jonathan Taylor; New York has revoked offer (Nov 8, 2026) — Glazer: the Giants offered a second and a fifth; Duggan observes the fifth must have been in 2028; Indianapolis rejected the offer and New York pulled it; Glazer agrees a trade looks unlikely; Schultz: Indianapolis will likely keep Taylor unless an offer too good to refuse arrives, and could revisit a trade in the offseason
  24. NFL Trade Rumors — Giants have cooled on trading for Jonathan Taylor? (Nov 8, 2026) — Anderson: the Giants cooled on Taylor over the price and resolved to move on, ahead of the November 8 game against Philadelphia; Schultz reports the Giants put a second and a little on the table, Glazer says a second and a 2028 fifth; the expectation of Indianapolis keeping Taylor and potentially revisiting a trade in the offseason; Taylor's two-year, $44 million extension, signed in camp in 2026
  25. Heavy — Colts receive unexpected update on Jonathan Taylor trade rumors (Nov 8, 2026) — Schultz's November 8 report, quoted: the belief around the NFL is Indianapolis will likely keep Taylor unless it receives an offer too good to turn down; the Giants were the only team to offer a second-round pick plus additional compensation; Indianapolis can revisit trade talks in the offseason
  26. USA Today — When is the NFL trade deadline? (Oct 30, 2026) — the deadline: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET
  27. Football Trade Trees — D.J. Moore (2023) trade tree — the October 20, 2022 McCaffrey trade record: the four picks Carolina received, their numbers, and the players they became
  28. theScore — Taylor 'grateful' for time in Indy after potential last game (AP, Nov 8, 2026) — Indianapolis lost to Dallas 27-23 on November 8, a fifth straight loss at 2-7; Taylor carried 13 times for 46 yards, caught five passes for 18 yards, and lost a fourth-quarter fumble; Taylor after the game: not sure whether it was his last game with Indianapolis and knew as much as the reporters did; he had grown up in Indianapolis and was grateful to the city, and, asked about a trade request, it really did not matter
  29. Pro Football Talk — John Harbaugh on reportedly pulling Jonathan Taylor trade offer: Things do change (Nov 8, 2026) — Harbaugh after New York's 19-11 win over Philadelphia: the Giants are not ruling anything out, things change from day to day, and nothing is particularly imminent
  30. Pro Football Talk — Colts are expected to take best offer for Jonathan Taylor at deadline (Nov 8, 2026) — the belief in league circles: Indianapolis will take the best offer on the table as the November 10 deadline approaches, the return set by competition among the offers, a trade expected before the deadline; Indianapolis would prefer a package at the level San Francisco sent Carolina for Christian McCaffrey; the Giants, Minnesota, Seattle, Denver, and Green Bay linked, with San Francisco named as a possible unexpected team
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About this article: it was drafted with AI assistance from the Football Trade Trees database and public reporting, then reviewed by a human editor. Spot an error? Email [email protected].