Bengals' Pursuit of Jonathan Taylor May Be More Fantasy Than Reality

The Bengals have been connected to a potential deal for Jonathan Taylor.

Oct 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Bengals have been named as a potential trade suitor for Indianapolis Colts superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, even though a deal isn't very likely to come to fruition.

There are a few teams reportedly in the mix. The Bengals' biggest issue with a potential deal is the fact that the return for him in a trade would need to be massive to get him out of Indianapolis. The Bengals would need to cut ties with multiple valuable draft picks to land Taylor.

The Athletic and writer Daniel Popper recently put together a mock NFL trade deadline scenario in which Taylor wasn't traded, even though the representative for the Bengals made a run at him.

Long Shot

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes for yards during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Colts 42-7. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"The Colts received offers on Taylor from three teams," Popper wrote. "The Vikings offered a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fourth-round pick. The Bengals offered a 2027 third-round pick.

"The Giants made the most aggressive offer: a 2027 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fourth-round pick. This package aligns pretty closely with what the 49ers gave up for Christian McCaffrey ahead of the 2022 deadline. The Colts rejected the Vikings’ and Bengals’ offers. Those teams did not want to counter and dropped out of the race. That left the Giants’ offer."

It would be shocking to see the Bengals give up enough draft capital to bring in Taylor. The Colts are likely asking for a package similar to the blockbuster deal that sent Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers a few years ago.

The Bengals would instantly jump a few slots in the power rankings if they added Taylor. Their offense would no longer be one-dimensional like it has been this season.

Still, it's difficult to imagine them giving up a second-round pick and then some in order to land Taylor.

The asking price is a lot, and the Bengals might not be willing to pay it.

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