Jonathan Taylor Rumors: What Colts Would Want As Trade Return

The Colts will have to deal with a new case of drama as they gear up for the 2023 NFL season.

Multiple reports on Saturday indicated Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade out of Indianapolis. Taylor, the league's 2021 leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, is the latest running back to be dissatisfied with his contract situation. The fourth-year pro apparently is so unhappy that his agent isn't optimistic about the possibility of Taylor and the Colts mending fences.

So, what kind of price tag would Indy attach to Taylor if the organization made him available? ESPN's Stephen Holder offered insight in a column published Saturday night.

"The Colts, according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversations, would be seeking an early-round draft pick," Holder wrote. "That might be tough given the current climate about the value of running backs."

Holder's ESPN colleague, Jeff Darlington, co-signed that expectation shortly after news of Taylor's request broke.

"I've asked a few GMs about Jonathan Taylor's trade value, and it sounds minimal for many reasons: Most notably, it’s a one-year rental," Darlington tweeted. "As one GM noted, next year's RB market is going to be saturated. No team is likely to do a long-term deal now when RB value could keep dropping."

However, even talking about a potential Taylor trade might be a pointless exercise to begin with. Colts owner Jim Irsay took a hard stance on the request, revealing the organization has no intention to trade the star back.