‘On Our Football Team’: Indianapolis Colts Won’t Limit Jonathan Taylor Against Dallas Cowboys Before Trade Deadline

INDIANAPOLIS — Two days before the NFL trade deadline, Jonathan Taylor is set to carry his usual workload for the Indianapolis Colts against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Colts coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that Indianapolis is not protecting Taylor from injury in its last game before the deadline, even though multiple teams have discussed trading for him.

“I think there’s a lot of stuff out there right now, but he’s on our football team and he’s excited for this opportunity to play. He wants to go win this game,” Steichen said. “There’s a lot of hypotheticals out there on the trade talks right now, but he’s on our football team.”

Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium is set for noon CT. The Colts are 2-6 and have lost four straight games. Dallas is 3-5 after a 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday.

Indianapolis fired general manager Chris Ballard after its Week 6 loss. On Oct. 27, the Colts traded eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Later that day, they sent three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him seventh overall in 2016, for a 2027 fourth-round pick.

Taylor carried 8 times for 23 yards and caught 4 passes for 24 yards in last Sunday’s 42-7 loss at Jacksonville. He played 39 snaps. His previous season low was 15 carries at Pittsburgh. His 8 carries tied for the fifth-fewest of his seven-year career.

Steichen, who said he is concerned about his own standing with the organization, has not been told by anyone in the front office who to play or who to hold out.

“I think all the guys that are on our football team are getting ready to go play a football game,” Steichen explained. “Those are the conversations I’ve had with those guys (in the front office), that we’re going out to try to go win a football game right now. That’s where we’re at.”

Indianapolis Colts Turn Down Second-Round Offer For Jonathan Taylor

On Oct. 31, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Colts had become open to trading Taylor. Multiple teams had reached out, and the talks were active.

The same day, The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reported that Indianapolis had already turned down a 2027 second-round pick plus an additional pick for Taylor. The Colts do not own their 2027 first-round pick.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported Nov. 6 that Indianapolis wants a first-round pick or a package equal to what San Francisco sent Carolina for Christian McCaffrey in 2022. That deal included second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks.

Breer reported that the New York Giants are a serious suitor even though their offer does not meet the Colts’ price. The Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings have also inquired. Both may be less inclined to make a deal now, according to Breer.

On Saturday, Pelissero reported that Taylor will most likely stay in Indianapolis and that no team has come close to the Colts’ asking price.

Taylor signed a two-year, $44 million extension on Aug. 6 that keeps him under contract through the 2028 season. The deal can reach $47 million with incentives and includes $39 million guaranteed. He turns 28 on Jan. 19.

Receiver Josh Downs requested a trade last week, but he remains on the roster and played at Jacksonville. On Nov. 3, Indianapolis signed defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore to a two-year, $35 million extension that includes $22 million guaranteed and a $13 million signing bonus. Adebawore has 4 sacks this season, matching his career high.

Taylor Draws A Dallas Cowboys Run Defense Ranked Last In The NFL

Taylor, a team captain, told teammates after the Jacksonville loss to keep their attention on winning now instead of on the franchise’s plans or on whether he would still be on the roster after this week.

“Teams are going to look at us even more, foaming at the mouth,” Taylor said. “Your back is against the wall, what are you going to do? You’re going to have to fight your way out of a corner. This is not getting nowhere near any easier, you’ve got to accept that, and when you accept that, that’s just the first step.”

Taylor said Thursday that he has not requested a trade. The 35-point loss in Jacksonville has frustrated him more than the rumors.

“At this point, the hay is in the barn now,” Taylor explained. “We’re preparing for the Dallas Cowboys. After last week, nothing else matters.”

This season, Taylor has carried 148 times for 610 yards and 8 touchdowns. His 8 rushing touchdowns are tied for third in the NFL. In 2025, he ran 323 times for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns. He finished third in the league in rushing yards that season.

The Nov. 10 deadline is not on Taylor’s mind.

“It’s kind of been dragging on for a while now,” Taylor said. “At this point, it just becomes noise. It’s been like three or four, however many weeks. So it’s like, regular scheduled programming.”

Dallas enters Sunday allowing 152.8 rushing yards per game, last in the NFL. Last Sunday, Tyler Allgeier ran 11 times for 147 yards and a touchdown for Arizona. The Cardinals finished with 202 rushing yards.

Josh Downs is expected to face his younger brother, Cowboys rookie safety Caleb Downs, whom Dallas selected in the first round this year. Josh Downs scored the Colts’ only touchdown at Jacksonville, his first of the season.

The trade deadline is 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday.