JONATHAN TAYLOR ON PLAYING FOR COLTS: ‘PROUD TO WEAR HORSESHOE’
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor told reporters Thursday that he has not requested a trade.
The question arose after the Colts made two major trades Tuesday, dealing eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers.
“I haven’t heard anything, and I can’t control that, obviously. You guys know that I’m always proud to wear the horseshoe, proud to be here,” Taylor said. “And similar to Quenton and Buck, they were proud to wear the horseshoe, proud to be here. But obviously, circumstances may cause otherwise. So, hopefully that day may not come. But I can’t control that.”
What Taylor can control is his focus on Sunday’s game against the host Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2).
“Obviously, it can maybe be tough to stay focused,” he said. “But that’s where you’ve got to be a true pro. You’ve got to be able to come into this building every single day and know that there are some non-controllables and there are controllables. And the best thing you can do is to control those controllables. And then if circumstances call for otherwise, then you take the next step, and control what you can control.”
Taylor, 27, has rushed for 587 yards and a league-leading eight touchdowns in seven games this season for the Colts (2-5).
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Taylor has rushed for 8,185 yards and 77 TDs in 91 career games (85 starts) since the Colts drafted him in the second round in 2020 out of Wisconsin. He won a rushing title in 2021 (1,811 yards) and led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2021 (18) and 2025 (18).
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The Indianapolis Colts today signed free agent tackle Charlie Heck. The team also signed guard Joshua Gray to the practice squad and released linebacker Germaine Pratt from the practice squad.
Heck, 6-8, 311 pounds, has played in 67 career games (29 starts) in his time with the Miami Dolphins (2026), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2025), San Francisco 49ers (2024), Arizona Cardinals (2024) and Houston Texans (2020-24). He has also appeared in two postseason contests. Heck was originally selected by the Texans in the fourth round (126th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft out of North Carolina.
Gray, 6-5, 299 pounds, spent time on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad earlier this season. He participated in the Carolina Panthers’ 2026 offseason program and training camp. As a rookie in 2025, Gray spent time on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad. He was originally signed by the Falcons as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2025. Collegiately, Gray started a school-record 56 career games at Oregon State (2020-24).
Pratt, 6-3, 250 pounds, was signed to the team’s practice squad on October 13, 2026. He has played in 113 career games (104 starts) in his time with the Colts (2025-26), Las Vegas Raiders (2025) and Cincinnati Bengals (2019-24) and has totaled 737 tackles (416 solo), 38.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 33 passes defensed, eight interceptions, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and eight special teams stops. Pratt has started seven postseason contests and has compiled 49 tackles (32 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, four passes defensed and one interception.
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Colts running back Jonathan Taylor opens up about the recent trade speculation surrounding him, and how he has combatted the noise. Taylor and nose tackle Grover Stewart shares their thoughts on the recent trades of Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and how the Colts must move on and prepare for the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday. Taylor then shares how he’s able to stay in the moment through all of the recent moves and stay focused on the task ahead. Stewart shares the impact of Buckner and standard he set for the locker room, and the role he embraces as a leader of the defense. Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher describe the opportunity for the Colts in Jacksonville as they face the division-leading Jaguars: https://www.colts.com/video/indianapolis-colts-running-back-jonathan-taylor-grover-stewart-laquon-treadwell-bryce-boettcher-colts-at-jacksonville-jaguars-locker-talk-week-8-discuss-deforest-buckner-quenton-nelson-trade-seahawks-49ers
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