The NFL's last unbeaten team may be about to make its boldest move of the season. The Minnesota Vikings, sitting at 6-0, are expected to inquire about trading for Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, as the struggling Colts weigh whether their fire sale should include their best offensive player. A Jonathan Taylor trade would instantly become the biggest deal of the trade-deadline season, pairing one of the league's most explosive backs with the only team yet to lose a game.
The interest surfaced on Tuesday, one day after Indianapolis traded away two cornerstone veterans — eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to San Francisco — and less than two weeks before the NFL's November 10 trade deadline. Whether Taylor actually moves is far from settled.
The Vikings' interest was first framed by Rapoport, who said Minnesota would be among the teams to check in on the running-back market. "We have been talking about possible running back trades. I would include the Minnesota Vikings as a team that will inquire potentially about trading for a running back," he said. "If Jonathan Taylor, who ran wild against them recently, is available, I would no doubt expect them to be one of the teams to inquire."
The timing is no accident. Taylor faced the Vikings just days earlier, on October 25 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Evan Sidery, citing Rapoport, added that the Vikings are planning to inquire about Taylor specifically, writing that Taylor "would be the missing link to match their defense's firepower" and that the Colts "would likely want a 1st-round pick in trade involving Taylor."
The Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos have all been named as teams that have considered or are expected to consider pursuing the 27-year-old, according to reporting from ESPN's Schefter and Rapoport. Prediction market Kalshi now gives Taylor leaving Indianapolis a 63 percent probability, down from 85 percent three days ago.
To understand why Taylor's name is even in play, start with the Colts' week. Indianapolis sits at 2-5, fired general manager Chris Ballard one week ago, then spent Tuesday dismantling its veteran core: Nelson, 30, to the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, and Buckner back to the 49ers — the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2016 — for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Those deals changed the maths around Taylor. Teams are already calling Ed Dodds, who is running Indianapolis' personnel staff, about the running back, Rapoport reported. Rebuilding teams convert veteran starters into future draft capital, and Taylor — a former Wisconsin star who has spent his whole career in Indianapolis — suddenly looks like the biggest chip the Colts still hold.
There is history here, too. The Packers explored a Taylor trade in August 2023, when the Colts sought young wide receiver Christian Watson and additional compensation, according to the New York Post. The deal never materialised, but talks could resurface as Green Bay looks to bring Taylor back to Wisconsin, where he starred for the Badgers.
Related: Colts trade Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks and Buckner returns to the 49ers in the Colts' Tuesday fire sale.
The price is the first obstacle, and the reporting does not agree. Sidery's account, citing Rapoport, puts the Colts' likely ask at a first-round pick. Raanan, meanwhile, reported Tuesday that the asking price is a second-round draft pick and "possibly more." The gap matters: a first-round pick is franchise-cornerstone currency, while a second-rounder plus something smaller is a price contenders can stomach in November.
The contract is the second obstacle, and it cuts both ways. Taylor signed a two-year, $44 million extension during training camp, and he is still due the rest of his nearly $7 million base salary this year, followed by $16 million next season and nearly $18 million in 2028, according to the New York Post. For a contender, that is cost certainty; for a rebuilding team, a valuable, tradeable asset — if the owner is willing to move it.
And that is the third obstacle. Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show that Indianapolis does not want to trade Taylor and that owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon does not want to trade the star running back. A team executive told The Athletic that ownership loves Taylor and that the Colts would need to lose more games before pulling the trigger. Taylor himself has said he has not given any thought to a move.
Rapoport's framing made the Vikings' logic plain: a team built to win now should at least ask. Sidery went further, calling Taylor "the missing link to match their defense's firepower" for a Minnesota side whose defence has carried it to 6-0.
The counterweight came from Schefter, whose reporting poured cold water on the idea. On the Pat McAfee Show, Schefter said the Colts do not want to trade Taylor and that if he had to guess today, he does not think they will. The Athletic's reporting pointed the same way: ownership loves Taylor, and a deal would need more losing first.
Analysts have also flagged a caution that applies no matter who lands Taylor. As Athlon noted, Taylor "is clearly an elite NFL back, but the offensive line must raise its level whether they make this trade or not." A star back helps; he does not fix blocking on his own.
Minnesota is the NFL's great paradox this season: unbeaten, yet struggling to move the ball. The Vikings have the league's top-ranked defence and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, but their offense has stalled out all season, ranking 29th in the NFL, according to Athlon. That is the gap Taylor would fill — a breakaway threat who forces defences to respect the run.
The need is sharpened by injuries and expiring deals. Aaron Jones may be able to play against Detroit, but he has been slowed by an apparent MCL injury, while Jordan Mason returned from a thumb injury in Week 7 against the Colts. Both are in the final year of their contracts. Taylor, under contract through 2028, would solve the position for years rather than weeks.
Then there is the schedule. Detroit would love nothing more than to hand the Vikings their first defeat, and the Lions know the formula: attack with quarterback Jared Goff and wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and dare the Vikings' stalled offense to keep up. A Taylor trade before that test would change the maths of the NFC North race.
The clock is the story now. The NFL trade deadline closes at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10, giving front offices 13 days from Wednesday to finalise terms. The Colts' game against Dallas on November 8 is the last result Indianapolis will see before deciding.
Watch three things. First, whether the Vikings move from "inquire" to an actual offer, and whether that offer approaches a first-round pick or stays at a second-rounder plus more. Second, whether Green Bay, Seattle or Denver forces the price up. Third, whether the Colts lose again and the "need to lose more games" threshold described to The Athletic is met. If the owner holds firm, Minnesota will have to find its running game from within.
Are the Vikings trading for Jonathan Taylor? Not yet. Reports say Minnesota is expected to inquire about his availability and price. No deal has been agreed.
What would the Colts want for Taylor? Reports differ: a first-round pick, or a second-round pick and "possibly more" (Raanan).
Why would the Colts trade Taylor at all? Indianapolis is 2-5, fired its general manager, and has already traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner this week — but ownership is said to love Taylor and may hold on.
Why do the Vikings need a running back? Minnesota is 6-0 but ranks 29th on offense, Aaron Jones is slowed by a knee injury, and both Jones and Jordan Mason are in the final year of their contracts.
When is the NFL trade deadline? The window closes at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10; the Colts host Dallas on November 8.
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