The NFL's trade deadline is approaching on Tuesday and a lot of the intrigue in the next 48 hours will center around the Indianapolis Colts. After firing GM Chris Ballard earlier this season, the Colts began a fire sale, shipping out Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner in separate deals while listening intently to offers for the likes of Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs.

An AFC playoff field that feels nearly set could lead a few of those contenders to go shopping in Indianapolis as part of an ongoing arms race while Taylor himself has drawn plenty of interest from the likes of Minnesota and New York. Let's break down four potential contenders who could benefit from completing a deal with the Colts, beginning with the Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings

There are legitimate concerns about how the Vikings can generate enough offense to support a Super Bowl-caliber defense. With J.J. McCarthy in New York and Kyler Murray dealing with a hamstring injury, Minnesota could make sense for a potential reunion with Jones, who spent the end of the 2024 season on their practice squad and knows their offensive system.

Another deal that Minnesota and Indianapolis could make would involve Taylor, who would be a meaningful upgrade over the Vikings' running back duo of Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason. Defensive tackle Grover Stewart could also be an asset on the interior for the Vikings, who could always use another big body up front to run Flores' complex defensive schemes.

Cincinnati Bengals

The presumptive challenger to Pittsburgh in the AFC North, Cincinnati is a definitive buyer after rolling to a 34-17 win over the Falcons in Madrid to improve to 6-2. The Bengals could be a sneaky good fit for Taylor since both Chase Brown and Samaje Perine haven't brought a ton in the ground game this season, which could make Joe Burrow an even more elite passer with the threat of Taylor on the ground.

Adding another defensive starter would make a lot of sense for the Bengals, who rank in the bottom third of the league in defensive yards allowed. Stewart could make sense as a run-stuffer next to Dexter Lawrence while rangy safety Cameron Bynum could bolster their secondary in a meaningful way.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The big fit between the Colts and Steelers would be at receiver, where D.K. Metcalf hasn't really clicked with Aaron Rodgers this year and Michael Pittman Jr. is on IR with a foot injury. Pittman doesn't have a timetable to return, which could make slot maven Josh Downs a good fit for the more precision-based passing attack Rodgers prefers to run at this stage of his career.

Downs would offer an upgrade over rookie Germie Bernard in that role, creating more depth in the Pittsburgh passing attack if Pittman can return late in the year. The Steelers' defense could also use a safety boost with Bynum, who could use his ball hawking skills to help create more turnovers for Pittsburgh.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have re-invented themselves as a running team behind Kenneth Walker III but they appear to be coming back to earth after a fast start. The receiving room has significant issues beyond Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, which could make Downs an ideal target to give Patrick Mahomes a trusted receiver on intermediate routes.

Injuries have started to be an issue for the Chiefs in the secondary as well, with both of their starting corners out for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Bynum could be a help here as well, which could allow Steve Spagnuolo to move Alohi Gilman around the formation to cover for weaker players at the corner spots.