The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and the Indianapolis Colts are one of those teams without many key contributors from the beginning of the season after a fire sale amid a struggling campaign.
No, running back Jonathan Taylor wasn’t among them, as he stayed put in Indy. But players like wide receivers Keenan Allen and Josh Downs joined Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner as trade pieces to other teams.
The Colts are clearly rebuilding, and quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Jonathan Taylor – both involved in trade rumors before Tuesday’s deadline — still have to play eight games this season despite a depleted roster.
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Jones admitted not being happy with selling off the pieces owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon and the front office did, but understands this is a business. He knows it, too, after what happened during his time with the New York Giants.
“Honestly, you’re not happy to see it, right?” he said on Wednesday while speaking with reporters. “You’re a player and you’re going out there competing and doing everything you can to win games. So, you’re not happy to see a lot of those decisions.
“But it’s outside of our control and our job is to play and be prepared to play well.”
While talks that Jones could be on the move came later in the trade deadline period, Taylor was the biggest what-if across the league.
When the Colts made it clear with the Nelson and Buckner deals that they would be selling assets with just two wins on the year, Taylor’s name was quickly added to the rumors and speculation. The Colts initially said they wouldn’t be accepting phone calls on a possible trade for him, but that tune changed.
Teams like the Giants and Denver Broncos came calling, but ultimately, the Colts decided to keep their elite running back in place as well as Jones.
“Those are some hard decisions that you have to make,” Taylor, who even said farewell to Indianapolis and its fans just in case he was traded after losing to the Dallas Cowboys last week, said in his first comments since the trade deadline passed. “I’m glad I don’t have to make those decisions. I’m glad I just have to come in here, make sure I’m at my best every single day for my coaches and my teammates. So, I would hate to be in that situation.
“I know they have a vision and a plan for it, and right now, we gotta execute right now. The best thing that’s going to help us is executing, going out and getting a win against Miami.”
All Jones and Taylor can do now is look ahead because they will be staying with the Colts for at least the remainder of the year. They both will likely lean on each other to get the offense going in the right direction for head coach Shane Steichen, but it’s going to be even harder now to correct the struggles.