Jonathan Taylor Trade Rumors: Vikings, Broncos, Packers among potential landing spots as deadline approaches

Jonathan Taylor is the talk of the town after the Colts changed their stance on trading him. I’ll catalog every trade rumor and update we get on the situation in this article, starting with a big update.

11/7 Update: The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero believes Taylor is staying in Indy. The Colts are looking for a breakout hit and no team has made them an offer. This is by no means the end of the saga, but it is increasingly likely that the Colts will demand unreasonable prices for Taylor from all interested parties.

Minnesota Vikings

Vikings make a lot of sense. They have perhaps the best defense in the NFL and a weak passing attack. Given that a superstar quarterback isn’t walking out the door anytime soon, they have to be an aging, underpowered offense that complements the defense for low-scoring wins. They don’t have the horses for that in their backyard right now. Aaron Jones had a solid season while averaging 4.2 yards per carry, but he can’t go a game without picking up another injury. Jordan Masonon the other hand, has missed time with an injury of his own and is averaging 3.9 yards per attempt. Minnesota also has additional capital projects through 2027 Jonathan Greenard trade, which gave them the Eagles’ third-round pick.

Denver Broncos

It is said that the Broncos were the team that almost beat the Texans David Montgomery in the off season. Jonah Coleman has emerged as a solid option for them, but RJ Harvey is on injured reserve and JK Dobbins—now relegated to backup duties—is averaging a dismal 3.3 yards per carry. Taylor would immediately take over as the workhorse on a team that has failed to establish a successful ground game for Sean Payton’s entire tenure as head coach. Local journalist Zac Stevens makes it sound like they are trying hard to reach a deal.

New York Giants

11/8 update: NFL insider Josina Anderson says the Giants have backed out of talks to acquire Taylor. Things change quickly in the NFL, but this sounds pretty definitive.

9/11 Update: While the Giants are reportedly out of trade talks for Taylor, their offer has been revealed. They were reportedly willing to part ways with second and fifth round picks for Taylor. The Colts declined, though that would likely continue to field offers. This may be the best deal they get. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Colts returned this offer before tomorrow’s deadline.

Cam Tax HouseThe odd season makes the Taylor trade even more viable. He leads all backs in scrimmage and was benched after losing the ball in overtime against the Commanders. Skattebo came back with a vengeance in Week 7 with a 17/124/1 rushing line, but he also went down with a hamstring injury late in the game. That kept him out of the Week 9 contest, though it looks like he’ll be back for Week 10. With his slight injury and Tyrone Tracy on IR, the Giants may see running back as a need regardless of Taylor’s availability. That a superstar happens to be poised to win is just random timing.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers are the last of the Big Four teams routinely linked to Taylor, including NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who didn’t list the Seahawks or Bengals. Although this is just being pulled from the pointer in his Sunday morning segment.

9/11 Update: The Packers were already getting nothing from their ground game, and now Jacobs is hurt. He has a broken toe, though there’s a chance he’ll make it past Week 10. However, Jacobs has been horribly ineffective this year and has ongoing legal issues.

The injury could be the push Green Bay needs to pull the trigger on Taylor.

Cincinnati Bengals

Schefter didn’t specifically mention the Bengals in his Sunday morning hit, but NFL insider Jordan Schultz has included them as a team to watch.

Cincy’s rushing attack is struggling this year. They are 22nd in the EPA for acceleration effort and Chase Brown ranks 38th in yards after contact per carry. Samaje Perine is shockingly ahead of him in that metric, though he only ranks 30th. The Bengals’ defense has improved this year, but it won’t carry them to a title. Their path to hoisting the Lombardi trophy eventually runs through the league’s best offense. Taylor would complete an offense that already has an unstoppable passing offense.

Seattle Seahawks

That destination continues to look less likely through the week. Schultz included Seattle on his list of teams interested in Taylor, but he’s in the minority of reporters on that count. The Seahawks just got their first round pick The Jadarian Prize AND Zach Charbonnet returned from positions in IR. Seattle trusts Charbonnet to do the dirty work and doesn’t have much tape on Price due to the month he spent on injured reserve. It would be surprising for them to challenge Price after just four games.

At 4-4, they may not feel confident rolling their chips into the 2026 season either. The Giants at -160 (61.5 percent) are much more likely to make the playoffs than Seattle at -138 (58 percent), if you take DraftKings’ numbers at face value. Seattle is definitely a better offense when they have an elite running back to back it up. Given Sam DarnoldIn the middle game this year, they are likely to be a team that benefits more than the average roster from a great run. But their investment in Price and shaky start make a trade unlikely.

Washington Commanders

Commanders stand as a logical fit for Taylor, but reporters aren’t bringing them up at all, so I’ll keep this short. Even at 2-4-1, they’re still in the hunt for the NFC East crown. Their Week 10 matchup against the Giants will have a massive impact on their place in the standings. with Jacory Croskey-Merritt in IR, Kaytron Allen gave up Jeremy McNichols can be done for the year with a leg injury, and Jerome Ford waived, nearly every prominent member of the backcourt is out of the picture. Rachel White AND Austin Thank you are the last ones standing. For a team with a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback, the Chiefs don’t have a running back who could benefit from the extra attention they give defenses. Jayden Daniels. The Chiefs will likely do their due diligence regarding Taylor, but the lack of buzz linking them to trade talks likely means they’re not in the running.

Indianapolis Colts

It’s worth noting that the Colts are under no obligation to trade Taylor. Their asking price for a CMC-level shipment can price out all potential partners.

Taylor is an elite runner, but McCaffrey’s skills as a receiver have not been matched by anyone since Marshall Faulk. McCaffrey was also 26 when he was traded. Taylor is 27 years old and will turn 28 at the end of the regular season. There are enough interested parties and a desire to make this happen on the Colts end that I’m betting a deal will be done, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.