New Jonathan Taylor Trade Rumors on Christian McCaffrey Value Eyed by Colts and Irsay-Gordon Meeting

The Indianapolis Colts are using the 2022 Christian McCaffrey trade as a general baseline for any deal involving star running back Jonathan Taylor, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter .

Schefter reported Sunday the Colts "would seek a similar compensation package" to what the Carolina Panthers received. The San Francisco 49ers gave up second-, third- and fourth-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft and a 2024 fifth-rounder.

Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that Taylor and Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon had "an in-depth conversation" to go over his situation.

"Irsay-Gordon is said to have an affinity for the three-time Pro Bowler, and the Colts would prefer for Taylor to be a part of their rebuild," per the report.

"The list of teams that have expressed at least some level of interest in trading for Taylor is thought to include the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, sources said," per Schefter.

Rapoport and colleague Mike Garafolo reported Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles aren't moving Saquon Barkley ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. For teams in need of running back help, Taylor is by far the biggest piece on the board.

That might aid in Indy's efforts to extract as much value as possible.

A McCaffrey-like haul could be attainable when the four-time Pro Bowler was only one year younger at the time of his trade to the Niners. He had also appeared in just 10 games between 2020 and 2021, so his stock had dipped a bit because of injury concerns.

Taylor is a different kind of backfield threat, though. He's not the pass-catcher McCaffrey is, and that could influence how front offices evaluate him.

Taylor's production on the ground does speak for itself. He's averaging 83.9 rushing yards per game, and his career average (89.9) ranks fifth all time.

The two-year, $44 million extension he signed with the Colts could be viewed favorably, too. He'll be a free agent in 2029, his age-30 season. Any team acquiring him will have some cost certainty for the next few years without being committed to a point where his performance could begin to decline.

All things considered, you'd probably expect Taylor to be wearing a different jersey within a few weeks given the Colts' ongoing reset. They might be perfectly happy to keep him in the fold as an offensive building block in 2027.