Jonathan Taylor trade talks: Packers attempted to acquire Colts RB, per report; Dolphins never made offer

The “mystery team” has been revealed in the short-lived Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes. In the wake of the Indianapolis Colts allowing the star running back to seek a trade last week, it was the Miami Dolphins who were largely linked to Taylor as the most likely landing spot. However, there were plenty of reports that noted multiple teams were interested in potentially acquiring him, but they were not named specifically. 

Well, we now know of at least one other club that tried to poach him leading up to Indy’s self-imposed deadline — the Packers. Green Bay was in talks with Indianapolis and had legitimate interest in trading for Taylor, according to ESPN. The exact package that the Packers were offering to the Colts was not immediately known and it’s also unclear what their level of interest in Taylor is going forward. 

Of course, Taylor was ultimately not traded and was placed on the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday by the Colts, meaning he will be sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the regular season. Still, Taylor can be traded even if he is on the PUP list and this report notes that there remains interest in Taylor around the league. The former All-Pro back would reportedly still welcome a trade as well. 

The Packers are an interesting team to jump into this mix considering they are quite deep at that position with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon on the roster. Both of those backs are starting-caliber players in their own right, but together already create one of the best one-two punches out of the backfield in the league. 

On the surface, bringing in Taylor would be a bit head-scratching, but it could be looked at as a long-term move. Dillon is entering the final year of his rookie deal and Jones is signed for one more year beyond the 2023 season, so there isn’t that much depth at the position over the long haul. Taylor, who is still only 24 years old, is just entering the prime of his career and would enhance the Packers’ young core, headlined by quarterback Jordan Love, who is entering his first season as the full-time starter. 

Meanwhile, the Dolphins were in on Taylor and reportedly discussed several possible deals to acquire him, including deals that included draft picks and players. However, none were enticing enough for the Colts to pull the trigger. 

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Wednesday their discussions with the Colts regarding Taylor ended up being “a lot of exploratory talks.”

“I can say there were no exchange of offers from either one of us,” Grier said about his talks with Colts GM Chris Ballard. “Just general talks, so a lot of the stuff that’s been reported, I can tell you guys, 95 percent of it is wrong.”

At this point, Taylor’s situation with the Colts appears to be at a standstill unless a trade were to sprout. The NFL trade deadline is Oct. 31.