Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor
Getty
The Minnesota Vikings are fully focused on their Week 8 action, as they will attempt to keep their undefeated season alive by taking down the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Off the field, though, the Vikings have found themselves wrapped up in a batch of trade rumors involving superstar Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
With the Colts tearing down their roster, Taylor has suddenly become up for grabs, and teams across the league have flocked to show interest in acquiring him. That includes the Vikings, but in a surprise twist, Indianapolis has made an eye-opening move involving Taylor for its Week 8 action that will surely catch Minnesota’s attention.
Jonathan Taylor Active for Colts in Week 8 Despite Vikings Trade Rumors
The Vikings were hoping to rely on Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason as their running back duo this year, but that has proven to be a bit more difficult to accomplish than initially expected. Mason has just returned from a thumb injury that landed him on injured reserve, which has resulted in Jones picking up a bit more tread on his tires than Minnesota’s coaching staff would have liked.
With Kyler Murray and the passing attack struggling to get off the ground, the Vikings need to get more help from their run game. That’s where Taylor, who is widely regarded as one of the top running backs in the league, comes into play. Despite playing on a struggling Colts team, Taylor has managed to put up some strong numbers (140 CAR, 587 YDS, 8 TD), and he could conceivably be the guy who can open up the Vikings’ offense.
Reports have indicated that Indy’s asking price for Taylor is sky-high, which has kept teams at bay to this point. The overarching expectation, though, is that Taylor is still eventually going to get traded. With negotiations ongoing, it wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise if Taylor simply sat out Indianapolis’ Week 8 action, but he has been listed as active by his longtime team, which will surely catch Minnesota’s attention.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor is active today vs. the Jaguars despite the team being in active trade discussions for him,” Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team wrote in a post on X. There’s an injury risk behind an offensive line now without Quenton Nelson, who was traded this week.
Vikings Set to Keep Tabs on Jonathan Taylor’s Week 8 Performance
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor
GettyThe Vikings have reportedly emerged as one of the frontrunners in the Jonathan Taylor trade sweepstakes
When considering all the circumstances, playing Taylor is a pretty risky move for the Colts. If he gets hurt, a potential trade for him immediately comes off the table. With there being virtually nothing to play for now in Indianapolis on the field in Week 8 and beyond, throwing Taylor into the fire makes little to no sense.
Just because he’s active doesn’t necessarily guarantee he will play, but you can bet the Vikings will be keeping close tabs on this game to make sure Taylor gets through it unscathed. At the end of the day, the team’s battle against the Lions is priority No. 1, with kickoff being scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli