First, the team traded star guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks, then they traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers. And, these moves come over a week after the organization fired general manager Chris Ballard. Needless to say, the Colts appear to be making some crucial changes.
These trades sparked a question regarding running back Jonathan Taylor's future on the team. He's made it clear that he wants to remain in Indianapolis, but he knows that's out of his control. Taylor spoke with reporters on Thursday about the state of the Colts, and he was asked if he's OK being part of the team's rebuild.
He questioned if that's even what's happening in Indianapolis right now. "You think we’re rebuilding?" Taylor responded. The running back went on to explain that the team is just trying to secure wins.
They aren't giving up yet, which he must equate to needing a "rebuild." “We going out there trying to win," Taylor said. "… For me, being a competitor, not only for myself but everybody in the locker room, no one goes out there to wave the white flag and surrender. We're going out there to compete, we're going out there to get a W and get a win." Taylor has taken it upon himself to inspire his teammates to push for wins.
He holds a more important role as captain now that two of the Colts' captains — Nelson and Buckner — left this week. "Part of my job, especially losing two captains, it's like 'Hey, we gotta rally these guys,'" Taylor continued. "We gotta show and have that leadership to say 'Hey, the NFL doesn't stop for anyone.
Business is a business.' But, what can you do, as a guy who's been here for a while as a leader?" The NFL trade deadline isn't until Tuesday, Nov. 10, so there's still time for the Colts to continue making moves, including potentially parting with Taylor. That would be a huge disruption in Indianapolis as Taylor has been a constant star then since he was drafted in 2020. Regardless of what changes on the roster the Colts make in the coming weeks, they need to focus on what improvements they can make with the players they already have in order to get into the winning category.
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