The Indianapolis Colts are 2-7 just before the 2026 trade deadline. The team has already dealt two longtime great Colts, Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. A full teardown is needed.
Indy can't be too proud of where it stands with certain players. The future needs to look different from the past decade. That means acquiring draft picks.
To do that, Indianapolis will have to part with players it might not want to. Jonathan Taylor would bring back good draft value. Other players might be valuable too. Will they be dealt before the November 10 deadline at 4 pm ET? That remains to be seen.
- Most likely Indianapolis Colts players to be traded
- Theoretical Colts trade chips that won't be moved
- Buyers who should be calling the Colts
Most likely Indianapolis Colts players to be traded
Jonathan Taylor
Will Taylor be moved? That appears unlikely, though the team should seriously consider trading him. Seth McGowan has already proven to be a quality backup, and Taylor has proven that, no matter how great a running back is, that doesn't necessarily translate into many wins for a team.
If a team offers a second-round pick and a fourth-rounder, Indianapolis should jump at it. The team needs to focus on the future, not on how historically good Taylor can be in an Indianapolis uniform.
Josh Downs
Downs hasn't done himself any favors after reportedly asking for a trade. He's been bad for two straight games, including two key drops against the Dallas Cowboys. He is a valuable slot receiver, but he can't afford drops.
Neither can Indianapolis if they hope to move him. The team might have been hoping for a third-round pick in return for the wideout, but after his recent performance, he might only bring back a fourth-rounder. That would still be better than losing him in free agency next year.
Daniel Jones
Why Jones would be traded is anyone's guess, because he hasn't been good this season. He does play the most important position in football, though, so that makes him a movable asset, potentially to the Minnesota Vikings.
Jones was part of the Vikings for a half-season in 2024, so he knows the offense. Even a poor Jones could be better than Kyler Murray, who is not only injured but has never been very efficient. Plus, Jones with Justin Jefferson would probably be better than Jones without Alec Pierce.
The Colts reportedly have told Jones they won't be trading him, but if the right offer is made, the team should. Jones shouldn't be the long-term QB1.
Theoretical Colts trade chips that won't be moved
Laiatu Latu
Latu has had a relatively quiet season, though he was pretty good against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9. He had a sack and got some sustained pressure for the first time this season. He isn't going to be dealt, though.
He was a first-round pick in 2024, so the team has control over his contract through 2028, counting the fifth-year option that is almost certainly going to be picked up next offseason. He is the kind of foundational piece that the team would be trying to get with a draft pick that the team would get back in a trade involving Latu.
Sauce Gardner
There hasn't been much talk about moving Gardner, but he might be one of the players who brings back the most draft value. The Colts wouldn't get two first-round picks for him, of course, as that was a Chris Ballard-only mistake.
Getting a second-rounder and a 2028 Day 2 or early Day 3 choice would be a good return for a player who is going to get extremely expensive soon. If Gardner were an edge rusher, then the team should keep him. A cornerback can be more easily replaced.
Adetomiwa Adebawore
Adebawore was guaranteed not to be going anywhere when the team extended his contract recently. The move was a brilliant one for the young interior defensive lineman, who will be tasked with helping replace DeForest Buckner.
The defensive lineman could have brought back some decent trade value, but as with Latu, Adebawore should be a key player moving forward. There was no reason to trade him when the team would be looking for the same kind of player to take his spot, and he is only 25 years old.
Buyers who should be calling the Colts
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings might need a new quarterback, and Daniel Jones has been linked to a team he spent a half-season with two years ago. Does that mean a trade is imminent? Probably not, but Minnesota could be a playoff team and might be desperate enough to call about Jones.
Indianapolis could save $38 million in 2027 by trading or releasing Jones. He hasn't been good, so getting some draft value for him would be better than nothing at this point.
Seattle Seahawks
Acting general manager Ed Dodds has a previous working relationship with Seahawks general manager John Schneider, and that helped grease the wheels in a trade that sent Quenton Nelson to the Pacific Northwest.
Could that also help a move that sends Josh Downs to Seattle? The Seahawks need to give Jaxon Smith-Njigba a bit of help, and a slot receiver like Downs (when Downs is playing well) could help Seattle's drive to make the playoffs again this season.
Denver Broncos
Despite the pedestrian quarterback play the Broncos get from Bo Nix, Denver is a Super Bowl-caliber team. What it needs is offensive weapons, and adding a player like Jonathan Taylor would make them an AFC favorite.
Denver won't give up a first-round choice, but maybe would send Indy multiple picks, and that should be enough. One of them needs to be a second-round pick, though.
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