Source: Colts field Taylor offers as deadline nears

Stephen Holder, ESPNAug 23, 2023, 04:13 PM ET
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Jonathan Taylor could be a step closer to getting his wish, but time is of the essence.

The Indianapolis Colts have given Taylor until Tuesday to find a suitable trade after authorizing the star running back earlier this week to engage with other teams in search of a trade partner.

Six teams have inquired about Taylor’s availability, and two of them have engaged the Colts with offers, including the Miami Dolphins, a source told ESPN on Wednesday.

The situation remains fluid, and it is unclear whether a team is willing to meet the Colts’ trade demands, which have been described by sources as being a first-round pick or a package of picks worth similar value.

Tuesday is a significant day in the NFL, as teams are required to trim their rosters to the regular-season limit of 53 players. It’s also the day the Colts must decide on Taylor’s status going forward. He is currently on the active/physically unable to perform list and must be activated or placed on reserve-PUP by Tuesday. Players on reserve-PUP must sit out for at least the first four weeks of the regular season.

For the Colts, the prospect of a trade offers a chance to conclude four tense weeks between the organization and Taylor, whose contract standoff with the team has overshadowed its training camp and preseason. Taylor has not practiced since reporting for training camp on July 25. He was placed that same day on the PUP list because of an ongoing issue with his ankle, according to the team.

The weeks since have been marked by uncertainty about the future of the 2021 NFL rushing leader, who underwent ankle surgery in January after missing six games last season.

It’s been an unusually ugly saga for the parties involved. Owner Jim Irsay and Taylor’s agent, Malki Kawa, were involved in a public back-and-forth on X, formerly known as Twitter. Irsay and Taylor also had an awkward meeting in the middle of a team practice, and Irsay later made comments to reporters that did not sit well with Taylor.

Taylor’s trade demand, issued to the Colts on July 25, soon came to light, and the situation grew more uncomfortable. That is perhaps why the Colts reversed course and allowed Taylor to seek a trade partner after Irsay initially adamantly rejected a trade request.

Taylor has twice departed training camp in the past two weeks, first to seek treatment at an off-site medical facility for his ankle injury and last week to attend to an unspecified personal matter.

When Taylor returned this week, a source told ESPN, he was told he needed to accompany the team to Philadelphia, where the Colts conducted a joint practice with the Eagles on Tuesday. The teams are scheduled to meet in a preseason game Thursday night.

While the Colts have made it known they will hold firm on their price tag in a potential trade, they also face a delicate situation if Taylor remains in Indianapolis. They first declined Taylor’s request for an extension in May, a source said, and that position hasn’t changed.

Taylor, meanwhile, still wants out, according to multiple sources, so reintegrating him into the lineup could present challenges. The Colts do not seem willing to budge on an extension.