The 2026 NFL trade deadline featured plenty of excitement. Several big trades were struck in the days and weeks leading up to Tuesday's deadline. One of the biggest names on the trade market this year did not get moved, and it seems that the high asking price was to blame.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano shared insights from around the league immediately after the deadline in their latest article.
They explained that the Colts were seeking a first-round pick, or its equivalent, in any potential Taylor trade.
“He's 27 years old and signed for two more years. They didn't have to trade him. He can be part of the solution next year and beyond,” Graziano wrote. “So they held firm on their price, asking for a first-round pick or some package of picks that would be reasonably equivalent to that. And no team emerged that was willing to give them that.”
One team interested in trading for Taylor was the Denver Broncos. The AFC West juggernaut could have transformed into a Super Bowl contender by adding Taylor to their backfield. But as Fowler explained, the Broncos simply weren't willing to pay such a high price for him.
“My sense in talking to teams is that Indy wanted at least a first-round equivalent in any package, and interested teams couldn't get there,” Fowler added. “I believe Denver gave it a run this week but wasn't comfortable with the return Indianapolis was seeking.”
If the Broncos had struck a deal for Taylor, they could've pulled the trigger on a different running back trade.
“The Broncos received some interest in running back J.K. Dobbins,” Fowler noted. “Had they moved on Jonathan Taylor, perhaps they would have entertained trading Dobbins. But Denver has two running backs on IR, so it needs both Jonah Coleman and Dobbins right now.”
Ultimately, Denver never ended up making a big move at the deadline. Hopefully that decisions does not come back to haunt them during the playoffs.
Meanwhile, it will be fascinating to see how Indy rebuilds around Taylor in the years to come.