Jonathan Taylor Rumors: Multiple Teams Eye Colts' Injured RB; 'No Recent Trade Talks'

While multiple teams remain interested in trading for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, it does not appear a deal is imminent.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported there have been "no recent trade talks" between the Colts and rival teams. Indianapolis is set to open the 21-day window to allow Taylor to return from the physically unable to perform list Monday.

The Colts placed Taylor on the PUP list before the start of the regular season in order to give him time to rehab his injured ankle and to kick the can down the road on his trade request.

Nothing appears to have changed regarding Taylor's desire for a new contract or new team, but his leverage his minimal. If Taylor withholds his services, Indianapolis could toll his contract into next season and prevent him from hitting free agency. The Wisconsin product has only one option at this point: play, do so well and hope a playoff team pulls the trigger on a trade before the deadline.

Pelissero reported "nobody's been close" to matching the Colts' asking price for Taylor to this point.

Taylor has been one of the NFL's best running backs since his 2020 debut. He's racked up 3,841 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

While it's clear he's an impactful talent when on the field, Taylor missed six games due to injury last season, and his 4.5 yards per carry average was a career worst. With the Colts winning just four games in 2022, there was no urgency to extend Taylor, but it was clear his frustration took a toll during training camp.

"The situation sucks," Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters in August. "I'm not going to sit here and give you some rosy picture like everything is OK. No, it sucks. It sucks for the Colts, it sucks for Jonathan Taylor and it sucks for our fans. It does. It's where we're at and we've got to work through it, and we're going to do everything we can to work through it."

Indianapolis is off to a surprising 2-1 start and has not missed Taylor much through the first three weeks. Zack Moss has been a bell-cow back the past two weeks after missing the season opener, compiling 210 yards on 48 carries. It's likely Moss will still have a role if Taylor returns to the lineup.

Taylor has been working out at Colts facilities but has not been traveling with the team or appearing on the sidelines for games.