What happened: The Indianapolis Colts executed a significant midseason reset at Tuesday's trade deadline, sending wide receiver Keenan Allen to the San Francisco 49ers and Josh Downs to the Kansas City Chiefs. The moves followed earlier departures of Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner as Indianapolis stockpiled future draft capital. Despite receiving multiple inquiries involving second-round picks, the front office elected to retain running back Jonathan Taylor.
Why it matters: Five consecutive defeats dropped Indianapolis to 2-7, culminating in a 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys that effectively ended contention hopes for 2026. Retaining Taylor preserves an established offensive centerpiece under contract while the organization prepares to hire a new general manager in the offseason. Fan confidence has declined sharply alongside the losing streak, falling to 19 percent from 47 percent two weeks earlier.
By the numbers: Taylor has run 161 times for 656 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2026 through 9 games. Allen departs after catching 40 passes for 351 yards and 1 touchdown in 8 games, while Downs logged 33 receptions for 354 yards and 1 touchdown through 9 games before the move.
What to watch: The 2-7 Colts enter the second half of the schedule evaluating younger roster depth before embarking on an offseason search for front-office leadership.