Jonathan Taylor trade rumors: Packers emerge as contender for former Wisconsin RB

Colts running back and former Wisconsin standout Jonathan Taylor very nearly made a return to the state where he played collegiately, according to a report by ESPN's Stephen Holder.

Holder reported on Wednesday that the Packers emerged as a strong contender in the Taylor trade sweepstakes. They could not complete a deal before Indianapolis' non-binding, self-imposed deadline of 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. But, as Holder reported, that doesn't mean the Colts aren't still willing to move on from the All-Pro back — provided they receive what they deem is fair compensation.

The Dolphins were also among the teams to make a run at the former Badgers All-American, though they reportedly could not agree to terms with the Colts despite offering several packages involving both players and draft picks. It's uncertain whether Miami's inability to facilitate a trade means its negotiations with Indianapolis are over, but it does at least open the door for Green Bay to continue making offers for him.

Here's a rundown of the trade rumors involving Taylor, including the Packers' late emergence to land the All-Pro:

REQUIRED READING: Packers GM addresses report that he talked to the Colts about trading for former UW running back Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor trade rumors

Packers 'had legitimate interest' for Jonathan Taylor

Per Holder, the Packers "had legitimate interest" in trading for Taylor, and have emerged as one of the top contenders to trade for the All-Pro running back, despite Tuesday's deadline passing. Holder's sources did not indicate what sort of package the Packers offered to land the in-state product.

Tuesday's was not an official, league-mandated deadline, meaning the Colts could still trade him to Green Bay or any other team that offers the right price. Of note: the Colts did not remove him off the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning he must miss the first four games of the 2023 NFL season. Whether that affects the Colts' asking price moving forward, if at all, remains to be seen. That said, Holder reported the Packers are still interested in Taylor.

PackersNews reported Wednesday that trade talks amounted to a brief conversation between the Colts and a Green Bay scout. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst addressed those rumors with reporters on Wednesday:

“There’s a lot of conversations,” Gutekunst said (via PackersNews). “We are used, at times, for very leverage situations at times as well, but we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing if we’re not investigating these things, at least listening to things. But, yeah, I think it’s the nature of the world now. There’s all kinds of things out there. Some are true, some aren’t.”

Adding Taylor to the Packers' roster would make sense to help take pressure off first-year starter Jordan Love, who will take over in 2023 after four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers left via trade to the Jets. As of now, Green Bay has three running backs on its depth chart following Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to cut their roster to 53 players: Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson.

Jones and Dillon in 2022 combined to rush for 1,891 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns. They also combined for 87 receptions for 601 yards and five touchdowns (all by Jones).

REQUIRED READING: Colts don't trade Jonathan Taylor, so we're stuck in nightmare of his creation | Doyel

Dolphins offered several packages for Jonathan Taylor

Miami was the team most closely tied to Taylor, and reportedly made several offers to trade for him. However, the Colts reportedly did not think any of them provided equal value for the back, consequently causing them to rebuff the Dolphins. Following Tuesday's 53-player deadline, Miami has five backs on its roster: Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., De'Von Achane, Salvon Ahmed and Chris Brooks.

Colts want 'sky and moon' for Jonathan Taylor

The Colts, despite not being interested in extending Taylor, reportedly demanded a high price for the All-Pro back: the "sky and moon," according to a report from the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson.

REQUIRED READING: Tackling the big questions in the Jonathan Taylor contract saga

Why does Jonathan Taylor want to be traded?

Taylor was eligible to receive a contract extension following his third year in the NFL, which saw him rush for 861 yards in an injury-shortened 2022 season. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 4 before re-aggravating it in Weeks 8 and 15, causing him to miss a combined six regular-season games (including the last three of the season).

That followed a 2021 campaign in which he led the league in rushes (332), rushing yards (1,811), rushing touchdowns (18) and rushing yards per game (106.5). As such, he wanted the Colts to reward him with a contract extension, providing him long-term financial stability and ensuring he would remain in Indianapolis for the foreseeable future (something the team has refused to budge on, and which is part of a larger issue regarding running back value in the NFL).

However, the Colts did not want to commit long term to Taylor, who underwent ankle surgery in January; as noted by Nate Adkins of the IndyStar, the team wanted him to prove he was still healthy and had the same explosiveness that he had before his ankle injury in 2022.

With Indianapolis' refusal to extend Taylor, he enters the final year of his rookie contract expected to make $4.3 million in base salary, per Over The Cap. (As a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he was ineligible to receive a fifth-year extension, reserved for first-rounders).

The team in July allowed Taylor to seek a trade with other teams, though the franchise couldn't come to terms with either the Packers or Dolphins before Tuesday's self-imposed deadline.

NFL trade deadline 2023

The 2023 NFL-mandated trade deadline is Oct. 31, giving teams — including the Packers — plenty of time to make more runs at Taylor.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jonathan Taylor trade rumors: Packers interested in Wisconsin RB