The 2027 NFL offseason has seemingly begun for the Indianapolis Colts and the most stunning part of it is people within the organization understand that’s true.
That’s how things are following a loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans last week, the firing of general Chris Ballard one day later and a follow-up loss to the punchless but somehow undefeated Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
That is definitely the way things are when the wife of the team’s biggest star is talking openly about her husband getting traded.
SEASON IS ALREADY OVER FOR THESE FOUR NFL TEAMS AFTER WEEK 5, YOU CAN WRITE THEM OFF NOW
Yes, you read that right.
Jonathan Taylor’s wife Ayanna Taylor over the weekend posted two videos on Instagram saying “players that once seemed untouchable,” like her husband, “may now be on the table” in potential trades.
Want the most depressing part of this for Colts fans? Jonathan Taylor agreed with his wife’s videos that make it clear their family is on what she called “a Colts transaction watch.”
“I think it’s been out there already so her adding doesn’t really change anything,” Taylor said after Sunday’s loss. “Everybody’s on TikTok these days so we just have to come in to work and focus.”
Ayanna Taylor posted about the dire situation facing her husband’s team by painting in her second video the truly depressing picture of what’s next.
“Look at the situation that they put themselves in,” she said. “They have a losing record, they just fired their 10-year GM, and they have no draft picks. How are they going to get new leadership to come in when they really have no options for new leadership to transform the team?
“Let’s think about it: What do you do when you don’t have what you need and you don’t have the money to pay for it? … You trade. That’s what brings us back to my husband.”
Taylor, who scored a touchdown and averaged 5.3 yards per rush against the stifling Vikings defense, is obviously a trade chip for interim general manager Ed Dodds.
If Dodds can move Taylor, or right defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, or left defensive tackle Grover Stewart or guard Quenton Nelson, or anyone not named Tyler Warren, before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, then it is a good bet he’s going to consider it.
That, of course, is going to make coach Shane Steichen’s life a little tougher. But maybe Steichen should have considered that before his team lost 12 of its last 14 games dating back to last season and is the only one in the NFL to lose to the Titans this season.
Besides, Steichen has bigger problems.
Bigger problem No. 1: Whether or not to bench quarterback Daniel Jones who has been a bitter disappointment. Jones threw another interception in a key situation on Sunday when the Colts were trying to rally for a go-ahead touchdown.
Jones has thrown four touchdown passes and seven interceptions in seven games and he’s completing passes at a career-low clip of under 60%.
“I have not thought about a quarterback change,” Steichen said after the game.
Well, Steichen should be thinking about it and problem No. 2: Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put him and Ballard on notice at the end of last year that the expectations for this year would be high.
Ballard is gone, so if the current trend continues firing Steichen is the next logical move. Maybe Steichen can survive the looming garage sale of players over the next couple of weeks.
But Steichen would be wise to also put himself on “Colts transaction watch.”