NFL Trade Rumors on Jonathan Taylor, Brian Thomas Jr. and More Predictions on Landing Spots

The wait for the 2026 NFL trade deadline is effectively down to hours at this point, as the final buzzer will sound on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

A lot could change between now and then, especially if the recent rumor-mill chatter is to be believed. Let's dive into that buzz and use it to predict where the players involved might land.

Giants Out of Jonathan Taylor Sweepstakes?

If the Indianapolis Colts are interested in trading Jonathan Taylor, they might need to scratch one team off of his suitors list.

Per ESPN's Jordan Raanan, "it would be a surprise at this point if Jonathan Taylor is traded to the Giants."

Surprises can, of course, happen, so this hardly torpedoes the possibility. The Giants are proving plenty resilient at 5-2-1, despite struggling to keep their running backs healthy or producing.

But maybe New York feels like it has enough to get by with the ground game as is. Or perhaps it's just not interested in paying a premium for a running back, or doesn't see the wisdom of investing a ton with Jaxson Dart out for the season. Either way, Taylor's potential new home probably isn't the Big Apple.

Prediction: Taylor is traded to the Minnesota Vikings.

For simplicity's sake, trade deadline participants are often thrown into one of two buckets: either as buyers or sellers. Sometimes, though, it makes sense to dabble in both positions.

Could that be the case for the Jacksonville Jaguars? Because while they were responsible for the latest splash by landing playmaking safety Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons, it hardly sounds like they've ruled out splitting from 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr.

"Jacksonville has resisted trade overtures so far, but it sounds like they're going to listen before Tuesday," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

For whatever reason, Thomas has struggled to build upon his Pro Bowl breakout rookie season and went without a target in Week 9. A fresh start might be exactly what he needs and also exactly what this deadline provides.

Prediction: Thomas gets traded to the Washington Commanders.

The Tennessee Titans aren't necessarily going fire-sale mode, but they're pretty clearly open for business after the Jeffery Simmons swap. And that might mean great news for the losers of the Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes, since veteran Tony Pollard could be a fine consolation prize.

"They have listened on [Pollard]," per SI.com's Albert Breer . "Pollard has drawn interest from teams looking for running back help that don't want to pay the freight for Taylor, and the feeling from those teams is that it would cost at least a fourth-round pick to pry the veteran back from Tennessee."

As someone who isn't running a front office, that sounds...reasonable. Pollard is on pace to produce 1,000 scrimmage yards for the sixth consecutive season, and his 4.5 yards per carry are in near-perfect alignment with his career average (4.6).

Multiple teams could use a running back boost, and either one of them will get Taylor, or he'll stay in Indianapolis. Either way, there should be a market for Pollard at this trade price.

Prediction: Pollard is traded to the New York Giants.