The NFL trade deadline passed Tuesday afternoon, and the Indianapolis Colts made fewer moves than some expected. In a way, it fit a season that has been disappointing on the field.
Jonathan Taylor drew several trade offers over the previous week, including proposals with multiple draft picks and, in some cases, high selections, according to league sources. The Colts were looking for a major return, though, and no offer met their asking price. Taylor stayed in Indianapolis.
The team also discussed a possible deal involving starting quarterback Daniel Jones with at least one club, identified by a source as the Minnesota Vikings. He remained with the Colts as well.
Indianapolis did trade receivers Josh Downs and Keenan Allen. Downs had requested a move, while Allen is 34, and both players are on expiring contracts. The Colts received fourth- and fifth-round picks from the Kansas City Chiefs for Downs, then picked up a 2027 sixth-rounder from the San Francisco 49ers for Allen.
The more puzzling decisions involved the players the Colts kept. The New York Giants reportedly offered a second- and fifth-round pick for Taylor, but withdrew the proposal while Indianapolis considered it. The Colts had wanted more picks or a selection earlier than the second round—apparently, they were hoping for a first-rounder. No team made that offer.
Indianapolis also had a chance to trade defensive tackle Grover Stewart. One offer, initially a fifth-round pick, was raised to a fourth-rounder plus a late-round selection, according to a league source. The Colts held out for more, and the offers were eventually pulled. Stewart stayed, too.
After the deadline, reports suggested the Colts were reluctant to make a broader sell-off because keeping Taylor and Jones might help attract a high-profile general manager or coach if Shane Steichen is dismissed after the season. That explanation is hard to square with the team’s 2-7 record. A future executive or coach might prefer additional draft picks and the freedom to build a roster from scratch, rather than inherit the current one.
Taylor may also have been left disappointed. After spending weeks amid trade speculation and appearing to say goodbye following Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, he could have expected a chance to join a team making a postseason push.
The Colts have fallen well short of expectations this season. Their deadline decisions did little to change that impression.
