Jonathan Taylor turns trade talk into 'regular scheduled programming' as Colts and Cowboys meet

INDIANAPOLIS — Jonathan Taylor has grown accustomed to playing football as the rumor mill spins.

This week, he has heard his named linked to multiple teams, heard about “done deals” and heard some question whether it's wise to even play Sunday when the struggling Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys meet — two days before this season's trade deadline.

So Taylor has learned how to laugh it off. All he wants to do is give the fans something to cheer.

“It's kind of dragged on for a while now, so at this point, it's just noise,” Taylor said Thursday about the chatter. “It's been like three or four or however many weeks, so at this point, it becomes regular scheduled programming.”

It wasn't supposed to be this way after the seven-year veteran who has never played for another team signed a two-year contract extension worth $44 million to stay with the Colts in August.

Even then, this week's featured matchup was supposed to be about the brother bash: Indy's veteran receiver Josh Downs and Cowboys rookie safety Caleb Downs. But with both teams reeling, the older brother requesting a trade and the younger brother in the concussion protocol and dealing with a bad ankle, their dream story may have to wait.

That puts the spotlight on Taylor, the franchise's No. 2 career rusher in what could be his final game playing in the Colts — though it's not something he has contemplated.

“We've got an opportunity, especially this week — especially after last week — to come back and put a better product on the field,” he said, referring to the embarrassing 42-7 loss to Jacksonville. “That's my biggest goal. Last week was tough. You know you never want to go and put that on display."

He just wants to give fans something to cheer about. Indy has (2-6) lost four straight and 13 of 15 and the last time they were home, the boobirds were out in force.

Dallas (3-5) hasn't played much better lately. It has the league's worst run defense and has lost three of four after blowing a lead and losing 33-30 in overtime at Arizona last week. So coach Brian Schottenheimer would like nothing better than to ruin Indy's homecoming — even if it Taylor's last stand.

“There are certainly a lot of things we as a football team can do better," he said, noting the Cowboys' rushing disparity from Week 7 to Week 8. “I didn’t think we did a great job tackling. And then there’s certainly things that I can do better in all facets, No. 1 being find a way to finish the game and give us a chance.”