The Green Bay Packers are one of the teams considering a trade for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ahead of the NFL trade deadline, according to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. It’s not the first time Green Bay has shown interest in the former Wisconsin star.

“The Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Vikings are among the teams that have pondered, or are expected to consider, the possibility of a trade for the star running back, according to sources.” — Schefter and Rapoport.

The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard this week. Multiple reports since then have said Indianapolis is considering trading some of its veterans, and Taylor is one of the names in that group, alongside guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

Taylor won’t come cheap. Still, he’s a 27-year-old running back with plenty of tread left on the tires, and he has kept producing at a high level for the Colts.

The money behind a Jonathan Taylor trade

The contract is a relevant part of this conversation. If the Packers acquire Taylor at the deadline, he would carry a $5.5 million cap hit for the rest of the season. That number jumps to $16 million next year and $17.9 million in 2028. Taylor signed a two-year contract extension in the offseason.

That’s a significant investment in a running back, especially for a team that already committed real money to the position. And that’s because Josh Jacobs is under contract through 2027, even though there aren’t guarantees left.

Therefore, a Taylor deal would likely force a decision on Jacobs. The Packers could include Jacobs in the trade package if the Colts want to, or they could release him later. Carrying both contracts would be hard to justify for a position that teams around the league no longer view as a premium spot.

A familiar pursuit

Green Bay has been down this road before. The Packers considered acquiring Taylor back in 2023, but the Colts asked for wide receiver Christian Watson as part of the compensation package at the time. The Packers decided not to make the deal.

The situation looks different now. If Indianapolis is willing to accept a package built around draft picks alone, the Packers could seriously consider it.

Green Bay doesn’t have a first-round pick next year. The Packers traded their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys in the Micah Parsons deal last year.

For the most part, though, the cupboard isn’t bare. The Packers still own multiple mid-round picks and are expected to receive four compensatory picks. That extra draft capital gives general manager Brian Gutekunst room to make an offer without touching the core of the roster. It’s still uncertain how much the Colts would demand for Taylor.

Green Bay is monitoring multiple Colts veterans

Running back isn’t a premium position, so the interest might look surprising at first glance. But more than that, it’s a position where the Packers suffered while Jacobs was on the commissioner’s exempt list. Green Bay saw firsthand how thin the room looked without a proven lead back.

Adding an elite player who is still relatively young would address that concern directly. Taylor has the résumé to carry a heavy workload, and he wouldn’t need time to adjust to a new role as the top option in the backfield.

Taylor also isn’t the only Colts veteran on Green Bay’s radar. Earlier this week, the Packers were also linked to defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. The Packers are evaluating every possibility as Indianapolis decides which veterans to move.

Whether that leads to an actual deal depends on the price. Green Bay has the mid-round capital and the motivation to make a push. The bigger question is how much the Packers are willing to commit to a running back, and what that would mean for Jacobs if they do.