The Denver Broncos officially don't have to sit on their hands when it comes to the Jonathan Taylor trade market anymore. In fact, the opposite is true.
The urgency needs to ramp up.
On Thursday's injury report ahead of the team's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, second-year running back RJ Harvey popped up with a knee injury. The injury reportedly happened at practice, and Harvey was listed as "limited" on the report.
That's the final straw. It's time to trade for Jonathan Taylor.
RJ Harvey's practice injury is the last sign the Broncos need to go after Jonathan Taylor
Let's get a quick recap of where we are currently, and where things have been, shall we?
The Broncos had one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL last season after the injury suffered by JK Dobbins in Week 10. That injury just so happened to occur a couple of days after the NFL trade deadline. The Broncos thought they were fine at the running back position, but ended up being in a horrible position with RJ Harvey not ready for a full-time role, and nobody else seizing one either.
Even with rumors that the team was going to be active in pursuing running backs in free agency, things dried up rather quickly for the Broncos. Breece Hall was franchise tagged by the Jets, wiping a top target off the board. Kenneth Walker and Travis Etienne quickly signed with the Chiefs and Saints, respectively.
With JK Dobbins getting pursued by the Jaguars in the early stages of free agency, the Broncos were backed into a corner. They re-signed Dobbins and just ran it back, as much as Sean Payton doesn't like using that term.
The team drafted Jonah Coleman in the 4th round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and he looks like a potential stud. But with the team in pursuit of a Super Bowl this season, it's worth noting that Coleman has just 24 touches as an NFL back, and already has spent a four-game stint on IR.
As promising as he has looked -- and he looks like a possible RB1 -- banking too much on Coleman seems like it could burn the team.
Tyler Badie is also on injured reserve right now with a thumb injury, and he's not a full-time back anyway.
The Broncos effectively demoted JK Dobbins during the win against the Arizona Cardinals, making him third on the pecking order behind both Coleman and Harvey.
Now that Harvey is hurt again (he missed the Week 2 game vs. Jacksonville due to a hamstring injury), the Broncos have to take action. They simply cannot afford to maintain the status quo at running back with how egregiously we saw the running game let the team down in the second half of last season, especially in the playoffs.
Broncos need to make the Colts an offer for Jonathan Taylor sooner rather than later
The Colts find themselves in a bit of a dilemma entering Week 8 action. They have already sent every signal possible that they are mailing it in this season, trading away both Quenton Nelson (Seahawks) and DeForest Buckner (49ers) earlier this week.
Everybody knows they are looking to rebuild.
While that doesn't have to include a Jonathan Taylor trade, he's not getting any younger, his price tag isn't getting any cheaper, and his value isn't getting much better. You aren't going to get a better offer for a running back than you will during a season when teams are experiencing injuries or finding out that their running games are just not good enough.
Taylor would be a game-changing addition for any team, but especially for the Broncos, given how badly JK Dobbins has struggled this season. He's 112th out of 120 backs this season in total EPA. His 3.37 yards per carry ranks 76th in the league right now. He's not creating yardage after contact.
The Broncos gave him an expanded role against both the Chargers and Seahawks, and even though Dobbins is correct in saying that those teams have familiarity with him, the Broncos are in pursuit of a Super Bowl.
If the Broncos decided to make the Colts an offer ahead of Week 8, it accomplishes a couple of things. First off, it gets the discussion actually going. Second, it puts the ball in the Colts' court. Would they actually reject a strong offer that was on the table? Would Jonathan Taylor be inactive on Sunday?
The Colts are going to have to decide what kind of tune they are going to sing pretty soon. If Taylor isn't active on Sunday, it gives away their plans to trade him, or at least lets teams know they are ready for (better) offers. If Taylor plays on Sunday, they are risking him getting hurt and not being able to trade him at all.
The latest injury popping up for RJ Harvey, no matter how big or small of a deal it is, is the last warning sign the Broncos need.
Make the call.
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