The Indianapolis Colts may be coming to regret their all-in Sauce Gardner trade in the 2026 NFL season, as a franchise that thought a championship window was flung wide open now faces the prospect of starting the season without Daniel Jones under center. Jonathan Taylor and the rest of the offense could suffer as a result.
If things start to go belly-up for the Colts in 2026, which could lead to head coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard possibly looking for new jobs, there could be some veteran players traded for NFL Draft capital. Taylor, who has only one year left on his contract, could be one of the first to go in this hypothetical scenario.
Ben Solak of ESPN, when making 10 predictions for the 2026 NFL season, declared that Indy will trade Taylor to the Chicago Bears. With Taylor's age starting to become a factor, the poor quarterback situation around him, and the Colts handing out big money elsewhere on offense, a third big contract seems unlikely.
Ben Solak believes Indianapolis Colts will trade Jonathan Taylor to Bears
The Gardner trade, which sent two first-round picks in the NFL Draft (one of which became No. 16 pick Kenyon Sadiq in 2026) and training camp star Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets, could force Indy to pivot to seller mode if they aren't hot contenders right out of the gate. In turn, this may force Taylor out of town.
Before Jones got hurt, Taylor was running away with Offensive Player of the Year. In his first 10 games, his 114 yards-per-game average would have put him on pace for just under 2,000 in a full season. Taylor's 17 total touchdowns in 10 games put him on pace for 29 in a full season, trailing only LaDainian Tomlinson's record 31 in NFL history.
Taylor's production (and subsequent All-Pro nod) vanished when Jones was knocked out. With Jones not a sure thing to start in Week 1, the roster around him slowly losing impactful players, and the improvement of the AFC South, 2026 could be an uphill battle for the Colts. Taylor is one of their more valuable assets, and a trade could make sense for both parties.
Taylor, who ran for at least 1,400 yards in consecutive seasons, ranks fifth all-time in yards per game with 90.5. He trails only Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and Eric Dickerson. That will attract attention on the open market, especially from a Bears team leaning on a D'Andre Swift/Kyle Monangai tandem looking to maximize their potential while Caleb Williams is on a rookie deal.
The Gardner trade gave the Colts an All-Pro cornerback, but it put them in a spot where Taylor may need to be flipped for picks if things go south. What a vibe shift from a few months ago.
Add us as a preferred source on Google