Jonathan Taylor OK with wife discussing trade rumors: 'Are we gonna stay on the Colts?'
MINNEAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor said he doesn't mind his wife, Ayanna, using social media to discuss his recent trade rumors. Taylor is believed to be one of the hottest commodities at the NFL's looming trade deadline, especially after the Colts lost again Sunday, 16-10, to the Minnesota Vikings. Indianapolis is now 2-5 on the season.
"I think it's been out there already, so I think her adding (to it) doesn't really change anything," Taylor said after logging 18 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown at Minnesota. "You know everybody's on TikTok these days. So, you just have to come into work and stay focused."
Ayanna Taylor shared two TikTok videos over the weekend addressing the trade speculation swirling around her husband and why he could be moved.
"We're in a situation that we've never been in before," she said via TikTok. "This may be the first time we may not be on the same team, and we might get traded."
Ayanna Taylor noted Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon's decision to fire general manager Chris Ballard last week as an inflection point in Jonathan Taylor's tenure with the team. Ballard traded up to draft Taylor in the second round in 2020, which wound up being a home run decision. Taylor has morphed into one of the most prolific running backs in the NFL and arguably the best in Colts history. His 38-yard rushing TD on Sunday was the 77th of his career, extending a franchise record.
But as Ayanna Taylor pointed out, the biggest trade of Ballard's career likely contributed to his demise. Last season, amid a 7-2 start, Ballard shipped off the team's 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, plus wide receiver AD Mitchell, to the New York Jets in exchange for star cornerback Sauce Gardner. Since then, however, the Colts are 3-12 as Daniel Jones, who was playing at a Pro Bowl level last year before he fractured his left fibula and ruptured his right Achilles tendon, has regressed into one of the worst starting QBs in the NFL. Gardner also hasn't lived up to his billing, missing multiple games over the last two years because of a pair of left calf strains.
After losing to the previously winless Tennessee Titans at home last week, Ballard was relieved of his duties, for which Jones and Gardner took partial blame.
"So, let's look at the situation that they've put themselves in," Ayanna Taylor said. "They have a losing record, they just fired their 10-year GM and they have no (first-round) draft picks. How are they gonna get new leadership to come in when they really have no options to transform the team?"
Insert Jonathan Taylor.
Unlike the Colts' other trade candidates, such as standout defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and star left guard Quenton Nelson, who are on expiring deals, Taylor inked a two-year, $44 million extension in August and is under contract through the 2028 season. In theory, Taylor's contract should make him the most valuable trade asset on the Colts' roster since he's more than a one-year rental.
"That's what brings us back to my husband," Ayanna Taylor said. She added, "Do they keep him as a contender moving forward in the future? Or do they just trade him and cut their losses for as much assets and value as they can?"
The trade deadline is Nov. 10. Jonathan Taylor said last week, "I haven't given it any thought," but we know at least one person in the Taylor household has.
"The waiting game is on," Ayanna Taylor said as she asked fans to weigh in. "I want to know your guys' thoughts and what you think. Are we gonna stay on the Colts and just ride in the sunset with them? Or is my life about to completely flip, and I'm about to start a whole new chapter of my life? Let me know and follow along because apparently my life is now a Colts transaction watch."
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.