As the Indianapolis Colts‘ self-imposed deadline to trade Jonathan Taylor has passed, the mystery suitor for his services has been unveiled.
The Green Bay Packers were the other team, outside the Miami Dolphins, that made a “legitimate” pursuit of a Taylor trade, ESPN reported Wednesday. In addition, the Colts’ asking price from the Dolphins was also revealed to be wide receiver Jaylen Waddle “and more,” the Miami Herald reported Wednesday. The Colts were reportedly seeking a first-round pick or something equivalent in a trade.
It’s unknown what the Packers offered the Colts for Taylor, but their reported interest comes as a bit of a surprise considering their situation at running back. Green Bay already has a pair of capable running backs in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
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Jones has arguably been one of the game’s best dual-threat running backs over the last handful of seasons. The 28-year-old rushed for 1,121 yards on 5.3 yards per carry and added 59 receptions for 395 yards and seven total touchdowns, marking the third time in his career he’s put up at least 1,000 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards. He also restructured his contract over the offseason in order to ensure that he stays in Green Bay for the foreseeable future.
Dillon has spelled Jones well over the last couple of seasons, rushing for 1,573 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two seasons as he’s often been used in short-yardage situations. However, Dillon, like Taylor, is entering the final season of his rookie contract, leaving a little bit of uncertainty at the position for the Packers beyond 2023.
The Packers had a chance to select Taylor, who played college football at Wisconsin, in the 2020 NFL Draft. But they passed on him in the first round, selecting Jordan Love with the No. 26 overall pick instead before the Colts selected Taylor with the No. 41 overall pick. Green Bay drafted Dillon later in the second round.
As for Taylor, he’s still in Indianapolis following Tuesday’s self-imposed deadline, which was also the same day teams had to cut down their rosters to 53 players. Taylor subsequently remained on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, ruling him out for the first four games of the season, but he still reportedly wants a trade.
Taylor, who is recovering from ankle surgery in January, sought an extension from the Colts in the offseason, but the team showed no interest in making that move. He requested a trade in late July as a result.
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