Jonathan Taylor had a reduced role during the Indianapolis Colts’ narrow 27-23 Week 9 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Despite being fully healthy, Taylor played just 68.8% of the Colts’ offensive snaps, his third consecutive game at 70% or less of the team’s snaps since speculation about a trade from the franchise increased.

After the Week 9 game and ahead of the November 10 trade deadline, ESPN insider Adam Schefter weighed in on the Colts’ next move with Taylor.

Adam Schefter Clarifies Colts Jonathan Taylor Stance

During Monday’s segment of the “Get Up” show, Schefter outlined the bewildering Taylor situation, as the running back seemed to bid goodbye to Indianapolis fans after the game against the Cowboys.

“There are contradicting messages all across the board,” Schefter said. “Indianapolis Colts say they don’t wanna trade Jonathan Taylor; they wanna hold on to him. But then they don’t play him as much in the game. They say they don’t wanna trade him, and there are no conversations, but there is Jonathan Taylor essentially bidding farewell to the city of Indianapolis, thanking them for the time that he gave them, and letting the city know how much it meant to him to play there and to start a family there.

“There have been trade discussions that have gone on between the Colts and multiple other teams. They’ve traded their Pro Bowl guard who blocked for him. They traded their captain on the defensive line. Then you’re gonna turn around to a player who didn’t answer the question about whether he wants to be traded, but we know he does, and say you’re gonna stay here while we rebuild this roster.”

Before speculation about his future exploded, Taylor hadn’t played less than 70% of the Colts’ offensive snaps while healthy since December 2024. Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen insisted that the running back’s reduced role has nothing to do with his future and was intended to give Seth McGowan more touches.

Schefter pointed to the contradiction between the Colts’ public stance on Taylor and their recent roster moves and usage of the running back.”

“They’re trying to get as many picks as they can and the player that can get them the most picks; they wouldn’t move,” Schefter added. “So, the whole thing is a little bit contradictory and doesn’t make a lot of sense. In the end, just as a thoughtful person, I just say to myself, ‘How do they not trade him?'”

Taylor did not have a great game against the league’s worst defense, amassing 46 yards on 13 carries and 18 yards on five receptions. This season, Taylor has managed 656 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on 161 carries, adding 220 receiving yards, and earning a PFN RB Impact score of 75.0 (No. 17 in the NFL).

The Colts selected Taylor No. 41 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, and over seven seasons in Indianapolis, the running back amassed 8,254 rushing yards and 77 touchdowns, adding 1,689 receiving yards and 7 receiving touchdowns.

In four of his seven seasons in the NFL, Taylor has managed 1,000-plus rushing yards, earning one First-team All-Pro nod and three Pro Bowl selections. Taylor signed a mammoth two-year, $44 million contract extension ($39 million guaranteed) with the Colts in August.

After a poor start to the season, the Colts launched a fire sale, trading defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers and guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for significant draft capital, while wide receiver Josh Downs has also asked to be traded.